SRINAGAR: Divisional Commissioner Baseer Ahmad Khan Thursday directed Deputy Commissioners to constitute career counselling desk for orphans in the respective DCs offices.
The desk will provide financial assistanceto such students for pursuing education as per their choice.
Khan passed these directions while chairing a meeting to reviewthe cases of militancy-affected orphans receiving financial assistance from National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH) through the district administrations
in the Valley.
The meeting was informed that National Foundation for Communal Harmony, an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, provides financial support to children rendered orphans and
destitute by militancy.
It was given out that the organization is providing Rs 1250 monthly financial assistance upto 12th level, Rs 1500 upto Graduation & Post Graduation level and Rs 1750 for Professional Courses level (upto 25 years of age) to
the orphans.
The meeting was informed that Rs 1.89 crore was disbursed to 1211 militancy affected orphans in 2017-18 and in 2018-19, Rs 1.61 crore was disbursed to 938 such students.
The Divisional Commissioner stressed the importance of project “Assist” which is helping orphans of militancy to pursue better careers.
For quick transfer of funds, DCs were asked to open Bank Accounts with Aadhaar Numbers and conduct District Level Screening Committee (DLSC) meeting regularly to speed up the identification of new cases.
Khan directed the District Social Welfare officers to maintain close coordination with their respective Deputy Commissioners for verification, reconciliation and submission of pending cases during the present financial year.
He also asked them meet the orphans once in a month for redressal of grievance if any.
The DCs were directed to identify those orphans who have attained 25 years of age and need financial assistance to pursue further studies and were asked to submit a proposal in this regard to NFCH.
The DCs were also asked to submit Utilization Certificates (UCs) of funds to the NFCH office within a week.
To assess the impact of the program, the DCs were directed to provide a database of such orphans who have benefitted from the scheme and are pursuing a successful career.
Secretary NFCH Manoj Pant informed that a national study tour under the project “Know My India” is organised annually and this year 12 students of Baramulla district are participating in the program.
Additional Commissioner Kashmir Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Executive Director Rehabilitation Council, Ishfaq Ahmad, Additional Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Syed HaniefBalkhi, Assistant Commissioner (central) with Div Com, District
Social Welfare Officer Srinagar, DDO NFCH and other concerned officers were present in the meeting
Deputy Commissioners and other District Social Welfare Officers of the Kashmir Division participated in the meeting through video conferencing.

KR Desk