Resolve pending pension cases, Delhi minister tells WCD, Social Welfare depts

New Delhi, May 22 () Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Friday directed the Women and Child Development (WCD) and the Social Welfare (SW) departments to review the pendency of pension cases and resolve the issues fast.

Gautam, who holds the charge of both the departments, held a review meeting here on the status of all ongoing welfare schemes.

In view of the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, the departments have been experiencing difficulty in implementation of various schemes which has led to the pendency, an official statement said.

"It has come to my notice that a lot of grievances related to pensions are unresolved.

"I have directed the WCD and the SW departments to review the pendency and resolve them on a fast-track basis. Clear instructions are given that if grievances are not timely addressed and resolved, the departments will take strict action against the officers concerned," Gautam said.

The minister also reviewed the status of all programmes under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). Special focus was also laid on the status of vaccination programmes for children and the distribution of nutritional supplements to the beneficiaries under ICDS, the statement said.

"Our mission is to eradicate malnourishment in children by strengthening the primary healthcare system through the anganwadis. We aim to provide nutritious food to the children by adding more nutritional supplements like peanuts and sprouted grams," he said.

In the meeting, he praised the work done by the departmental staff during the lockdown.

"Our staff, who worked day and night to provide relief to the people in Delhi, are our 'corona warriors'. The WCD Department has been providing milk packets, nutritious biscuits and food supplements to children. Our staff went beyond their call of duty to help people in Delhi during this lockdown," Gautam added. SLB IJT