Margao – Will Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant place in public domain Order of ₹300 crores allotment for disbursement of pending financial assistance to various Beneficiaries of Social Welfare & Women & Child Dept? I understand that concerned Departments are still awaiting allotment of Funds, stated Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao.
It is important that the Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant who also holds the Finance Portfolio should practice “Antoday Policy” in letter and spirit and must ensure that the benefits actually reach to the needy in time. It appears that the Government has still not come out from the obsession of making Big Announcements and actually doing nothing.
I had taken information from various departments through my Legislative Assembly Questions on pending dues of various Social Welfare Schemes initiated by Social Welfare, Women and Child, Sports, Art & Culture and other departments. After compilation of the figures, it came to light that pending dues had touched 330 Crores and the pendency was from 2016 onwards, stated Yuri Alemao.
Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldessai had replied to my Starred LAQ 12A dated 18th July 2023, that an Amount of 35.73 crores is pending of various Social Welfare Beneficiaries which include an amount of 21.50 crores towards Covid-19 Relief to Marginalized and Unorganised Sector. An amount of 1.60 crores is not disbursed to 80 families of persons who died due to Covid. Further, the reply states that an amount of 1.60 crores is pending to be disbursed as financial assistance to persons with severe disabilities, pointed Yuri Alemao. The information given to me further revealed that an amount of 55.83 crores was not disbursed to 1.39 lakhs beneficiaries of the Dayanand Social Security Scheme (DSSS), informed Yuri Alemao.
It is unfortunate that 3.06 crores for OBC Students towards Post Matric Scholarship, 4.37 Lakhs to SC Students for Pre-Matric Scholarship, 1.06 crores to OBC Students for Pre-Matric Scholarship were not disbursed by the Government for last six years. The Government has also not paid 8.58 crores for SC, OBC and EWS towards Atal Asra Yojana, said Yuri Alemao.
In a reply given to my Unstarred LAQ 120 dated 3rd August 2023, the Women & Child Development Minister Vishwajit Rane has said that there are 15226 Beneficiaries of Laadli Laxmi Scheme who are awaiting disbursement of 152.26 crores. In the same reply the Minister has said that 134117 Beneficiaries of Griha Aadhar Scheme are awaiting disbursement of 40.23 crores for May & June 2023, stated Yuri Alemao. He further said that after adding the dues of July and August the amount will total up to 80.23 crores.
I hope that the Chief Minister will take immediate steps to ensure that the money reaches in the accounts of the beneficiaries before Ganesh Chaturthi Festival, stated Yuri Alemao
