Ensure timely benefits of welfare schemes: Khattar instructs officials

Union Minister for Power, Manohar Lal Khattar has instructed officials to ensure that the benefits of government welfare schemes reach the eligible beneficiaries on time.

He has emphasised that if any improvements are required in the schemes, necessary suggestions should be put forward, as modifications can be made for better implementation. “The objective of a welfare state is to extend the benefits of these schemes to the poor and the needy,” said Khattar while chairing the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DDCMC–DISHA) in Panipat on Wednesday.

He directed the officials to accelerate the pace of development projects and execute their duties as public servants.Chairing the meeting, the former CM and Union Minister reviewed the progress of 40 Central government schemes. He clarified that only those with a valid registered property ownership would be eligible for benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), excluding people with full-payment agreements. He highlighted that approximately 276 such cases exist in Panipat. Additionally, he sought updates on pending projects under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) and instructed officials to ensure their completion within the stipulated time frame.

The Union Minister also directed officials to verify land ownership through revenue records. He also gave instructions on e- NAM, exhorting the authorities to prepare a detailed framework for online trading and present it at the next meeting.

Stressing the importance of soil health, he suggested involving Class XII science students in soil health card programmes and instructed agricultural officers to raise awareness about soil quality testing through dedicated campaigns.

Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, Manohar Lal instructed local authorities to accompany the central survey team for an on-ground review. He also emphasised the need for a transparent digital portal to track the distribution of rations and monitor the attendance of children in anganwadi centres, addressing concerns that actual attendance is often lower than the reported figures.

Directing the authorities of the Education Department, the Union Minister stressed timely repairs of broken dual desks in schools, proposing the ITI students be involved in the repair work.

Reviewing the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Yojana, he instructed officials to create a system to track the functioning of the self-help groups (SHGs), their products and the certification of the finished goods.

Addressing concerns over gender disparity, Manohar Lal emphasised the strict implementation of the PCPNDT Act to improve the sex ratio in the district.