Ex-soldiers to work as guardians of state welfare schemes

Tribune News Service

Malout, February 17

Ex-servicemen will now check the implementation of the social welfare schemes at the grassroots level and would then provide a feedback to the state government.

Sumeet Jarangal, Deputy Commissioner, Muktsar, said that it was a first-of-its-kind scheme by any state government in the country, where these ‘guardians of the governance’ would work along with the government to implement the welfare schemes of the state and Central governments. This would make sure that the schemes were reaching to the eligible people and avoid any kind of misuse, he claimed.

The Deputy Commissioner further said that with the implementation of this scheme, the district administration would also be able to scrutinise the welfare schemes.

Meanwhile, Maj (Retd) GS Aulakh, district in-charge of the scheme, said, the main purpose of the scheme was to ensure that besides keeping an eye on various government schemes like Matatma Gandhi National Rrural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), atta-dal, shagun, Prime Minister’s housing scheme, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the benefits were reaching to the genuine beneficiaries and there was no mismanagement at any level.

He further said that a mobile Application had also been launched for monitoring and implementation of this scheme. This App would be used to upload the feedback and this information would further go at three levels – Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) and the department concerned. Besides, the information collected at the district level in the control room set for the purpose would be passed on to the Chief Minister’s Office.

In the first phase, under the scheme, 56 ex-servicemen are being deputed and in the next phase, this scheme will be implemented at the village level.