Jammu: Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr Raghav Langer and Secretary National Foundation for Communal Harmony, Manoj Pant, on Wednesday jointly chaired a meeting of Deputy Commissioners and Social Welfare Officers to review the implementation of Project Assist under which government provides financial assistance to violence hit Children.
Pertinently, National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH) is an autonomous Organisation with the Ministry of Home Affairs which was registered in the year 1992 under societies Registration Act, 1860.
The major activity of the foundation is to implement programmes and projects for effective rehabilitation of the victim children of communal, caste, ethnic terrorism and any other form of violence/clashes. Under the project victim children are provided assistance for education and promoting communal harmony and national integration through different promotional activities.
While giving details about the project, the Secretary NFCH informed that in J&K a total of 6702 children of twenty districts have been assisted by NFCH, spending about Rs. 48. 45 Crore as on March 31, 2021.
They constitute 48 percent of the total number of children covered nationwide. “Out of 6702 assisted children in J&K 3851 have come out of the scheme after attaining 25 years of age and 2851 children are still on the live registration” he added.
A sum of Rs 149 crore was released as assistance to 826 children during 2020-21 and Rs 163 crore was released as assistance to 896 children during 2021-22.
While giving details of revised scale of assistance, the Secretary informed that the monthly assistance per child effective from April 1, 2018 is Rs 1250 for those studying up to class XII, Rs 1500 per month for those doing graduation/post graduation and Rs 1750 per month for professional courses like medical, Engineering and management.
Further, it was informed that total assisted children of terrorist violence in the Jammu division are 1834.
The Div Com took strong note of the low cases referred to the foundation and directed the Deputy Commissioners and District Social Welfare Officers to ensure that no eligible beneficiary is left out. “It is our social responsibility to provide financial assistance to the children whose parents have lost their lives in militancy, cross border firings,” the Div Com said.
The Secretary NFCH exhorted the Deputy Commissioners for engaging Non Government Organisations (NGOs) for identification of such children. He stressed that those who have dropped/stopped their studies in between should also be encouraged to continue the same for which the government is giving assistance.
Dr Langer instructed the DCs to identify all eligible beneficiaries in their respective districts; facilitate their documentation and forward the cases to National Foundation for Communal Harmony so that eligible children in need be given assistance under the Assist scheme.
Among others the meeting was attended by Director Social Welfare Jammu, District Social Welfare Officer, Deputy Director Planning and other concerned officers while Deputy Commissioners of Jammu division along with DSWOs participated through video conferencing.
