Health and Family Welfare Minister Dhani Ram Shandil met Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Annapurna Devi, in New Delhi on Friday evening to seek urgent intervention on several pending welfare matters concerning Himachal Pradesh.
During the meeting, Shandil emphasized the immediate need for the release of ₹132.41 crore under the Nirbhaya Fund to support the “Mukhya Mantri Aadarsh Gram Sukh Aashray Parisar”—a comprehensive initiative designed to house and support orphans, abandoned children, senior citizens, and women from Shakti Sadans.
He also requested ₹3.68 crore to clear pending liabilities of Child Care Institutions in the state for FY 2023-24, along with long-overdue funds under the National Creche Scheme/Palna Scheme, amounting to ₹91.33 lakh (FY 2020–22), ₹1.80 crore (FY 2022–23), and ₹2.22 crore (FY 2023–24).
The Minister highlighted the discrepancy in management costs under various welfare schemes—such as One Stop Centre, Women Helpline, and Shakti Sadan—stating that current remuneration remains below the state’s minimum wage levels and urged for a revision.
Further, he sought the final tranche of ₹27.85 lakh for the completed Sakhi Niwas facility at Paonta Sahib and additional support under Poshan Abhiyaan. While ₹27.99 crore had been released recently, he noted that another ₹8.04 crore was needed for smartphone procurement and that ₹18.31 crore in liabilities were still pending for related program components.
Shandil expressed hope for swift action from the Centre to ensure the smooth implementation of these critical social welfare programs. In response, the Union Minister assured that the state’s concerns would be given priority consideration.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
