RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Oct.20: The Jharkhand State Social Welfare Board, which is expected to carry out welfare activities for promoting voluntarism, providing technical and financial assistance to the voluntary organisations for the general welfare of family, women and children, is almost defunct in the state.
Having its office at Ashok Nagar, one of the posh localities of the Jharkhand capital, it neither has a chairman nor members. Except for the programme of family counselling, it does not run any programme which can help families, women and children.
“The number of staff has been reduced to four from the sanctioned strength of 13. That is going to be reduced to three next month after the retirement of another staff member. The post of chairman and 18 members is already vacant. Earlier we used to run crèches, condense courses for school dropouts and awareness generation programmes besides others but at present somehow we are running family counselling programmes at Mahila Thana, jails and district headquarters in 12 districts. Can’t say how long such a situation will prevail,” an insider said, expressing his concern over the situation.
Welfare officer Mahesh Chouhan, who has been deputed here by the Central Social Welfare Board, admitted the problem but expressed his inability to share further details in the matter. He suggested contacting the secretary of the board, Arshad Jamal, saying the latter is keen to improve the condition of the board.
Contacted secretary Jamal, who is also the under secretary of women, child development and social security department, he admitted the situation expressing his inability to do anything in the matter at his own level.
“Programmes of state welfare boards are fully sponsored by the union government while states give 50 percent of establishment cost. The final appointment of chairman and board members besides staff are also done only on the approval of the Central Social Welfare Board. We are supposed to give administrative support to the board and that we are giving. However, we are keen to ensure that it functions properly in the state,” Jamal said.
Jamal, however, said family counselling work is going well. “The board is running a family counselling programme at 16 places in 12 districts and work is going on properly,” Jamal said.
The Officer-in-charge of the board, Avinash Kumar, having charges of several departments, could not be available for his comment.
