Shandil seeks Rs 132.41 crore under Nirbhaya Fund

Himachal Pradesh has urged the Centre to release Rs 132.41 crore under the Nirbhaya Fund for the Mukhya Mantri Aadarsh Gram Sukh Aashray Parisar. The fund is meant for providing integrated residential and recreational facilities for orphans, elderly and women under one roof.

Health and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dhani Ram Shandil made the request to Union Minister of Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi in New Delhi on Friday. He requested the Union Minister to release Rs 3.68 crore towards pending liabilities of child care institutes in the state for 2023-24, which were being run by the Himachal Pradesh State Council for Child Welfare. He also sought the clearance of Rs 4.93 crore pending under the National Creche/Palna Scheme for the past three years.

Shandil informed the Union Minister that while Rs 27.99 crore was released recently under the Poshan Abhiyaan, an additional Rs 8.04 crore was required for the procurement of smartphones.

Furthermore, the state was facing pending liabilities of Rs 18.31 crore under key components such as mobile recharge for anganwari workers, community-based events and incentive payments, he added.

The Health Minister also drew Annpurna’s attention towards the fact that management costs under schemes such as One Stop Centre, Women Helpline, Shakti Sadan, Sakhi Niwas and Hub for Empowerment remain below the minimum wage level prescribed by the state government and need to be revised accordingly.

He expressed hope that the Central Government would address these matters urgently to ensure seamless delivery of welfare schemes in the state.

Himachal Tribune