Fund crunch is coming in the way of implementation of many a social welfare scheme like pension for the farmers rolled out by the Chief Minister Harish Rawat with much fanfare. The Government raising the amount under several of such schemes meant to uplift the down-trodden sections of the society has further compounded things with the officials concerned remaining worried over how to manage the required funds to reach out to the intended beneficiaries.
Notably, Champawat district administration has received 146 applications seeking financial assistance under the girl marriage scheme this year. Besides, 46 applications under the health scheme for the weaker sections have been submitted so far. As per the rules, an amount of Rs50,000 is to be given to a beneficiary belonging to the unprivileged strata of the society under the girl marriage scheme while a needy belonging to the same section is entitled to get Rs10, 000 under the health scheme.
Thus, given the total number of applications, the social welfare department requires Rs77.6 lakh- Rs73 lakh under the girl marriage scheme and Rs 4.6 lakh under the health scheme. However, on the ground, as the officials concerned said, the district social welfare department of Champawat has received just Rs24.20 lakh by way of budgetary assistance. Given the paucity of budgetary support, social welfare department Champawat or for that matter the Champawat district administration has decided to cover only 46 applicants under the girl marriage schemes and 10 under the health scheme.
Out of the 46 applicants who have been chosen under the girl marriage scheme, 13 are from Champawat and Paati blocks, while 10 each are from lohaghat and Barakot blocks, the officials concerned of the Champawat district administration said. Similarly, out of the 10 applicants who have to be covered under the health schemes, three each are from Champawat and Paati blocks and two each are from lohaghat and Barakot blocks, added the officials.
Under the girl marriage scheme, people belonging to SC/ST and widows of general category whose annual income is Rs15000 or those belonging to BPl category are entitled to get the financial assistance of Rs50,000 for marriage of their daughters. Similarly, people belonging to SC/ST category and widows of the general category whose annual income is Rs15,000 are entitled to get Rs10,000 for health treatment.