‘Govt released over Rs 29 cr in social assistance’

SHILLONG: Social Welfare Minister Kyrmen Shylla on Thursday informed the House that the government has sanctioned an amount of Rs 29,34,99,500 under the Chief Minister Social Assistance scheme for infirm and single mothers in 2018-19.
Replying to a cut motion moved by three MLAs from the Opposition, Shylla said in 2018-19, the budget provision for the scheme is Rs 30 crore out of which the government sanctioned Rs 29,34,99,500 for payment of pension to 53,573 infirm and 30,284 single mothers for a period of seven months for 2017-18.
He said the balance amount of Rs 65,00,500 from the budget provision during 2018-19 is to meet the administrative expenses for conducting enrolment drives in all the districts covering 41 ICDS projects.
The department moved a proposal for an amount of Rs 71,27,84,500 by supplementary demand for payment of pension to 53,573 infirm and 30,284 single mothers for the remaining five months of 2017 and also for 2018-19.
The Chief Minister’s Social Assistance Scheme for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), Infirm and Widows (the nomenclature of which was later changed to include all single mothers) was launched in 2012.
Although the response was low during the initial stages of implementation, the period from 2015-16 to 2016-17 saw a huge climb in the number of beneficiaries due to interventions like mass enrolment drives undertaken by the department across the state.