Guwahati, March 3: The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment on Monday convened a review meeting of central government schemes here, attended by officials from all the Northeastern states.
Chaired by Amit Yadav, secretary of the department, the meeting focused on evaluating various welfare schemes aimed at empowering marginalised communities, with emphasis on ensuring full utilisation of allocated funds for the region.
In his inaugural address, Yadav underscored the importance of the ministry’s initiatives, highlighting their impact on citizens nationwide. He placed special emphasis on the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY), a scheme dedicated to the welfare of senior citizens, stressing the need for at least one senior citizens’ home in every district.
He also emphasised the importance of providing assistive devices to elderly individuals, reaffirming the government’s commitment to enhancing their quality of life.
Yadav further elaborated on several other key initiatives under the department, including scholarship programmes for Scheduled Castes (SCs), the NAMASTE scheme, rehabilitation programmes for beggars and initiatives for the transgender community.
He noted that the schemes have extensive reach, covering a vast section of the country’s vulnerable population.
The secretary highlighted the need to raise awareness about the schemes, particularly in the Northeast, where knowledge about them remains limited. He stressed the critical role of coordination between the central and state governments in implementing the schemes effectively.
A detailed review of various schemes, including the Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Schemes for SCs, PM-YASASVI, NAMASTE, NAPDDR, AVYAY and NISD, was conducted during the meeting.
Officials from the northeastern states provided updates on the status of these schemes in their respective regions.