Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot Chairs Consultative Committee meeting of Parliament for Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

The Consultative Committee of Parliament for Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment meets under the chairmanship of Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment here today. The subject of the meeting was “Grants to NGOs working for the welfare of SCs/OBCs/Older Persons/ Drug De-addiction, under Department of Social Justice and Empowerment”. Ministers of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Ram Das Athawale and Shri Vijay Sampla were present in the meeting.

Addressing on the occasion, Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot informed the members of the many initiatives taken by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment during past few years for the welfare of SCs/OBCs/Older Persons and Divyangjans through NGOs. He appreciated the efforts of NGOs in this regard but expressed his concern on the wrong activities of a few NGOs. He said that the monitoring of grants by his Ministry to NGOs is a continuous process. He said that his ministry has initiated action against those errant NGOs. He emphasized on the transparency and as to how these welfare schemes reach to the needy persons in our society.

During the meeting, the following four presentations were made : Grants to NGOs working for the welfare of SCs/OBCs/Older Persons/ Drug De-addiction, under Department of Social Justice and Empowerment under – (1) Scheduled Castes Division; (2) Backward Class Division; (3) Social Defence Division (Drug Prevention Division & Senior Citizen Division); and (4) National Trust.

The Members of Parliament who attended the Meeting include : Shri Hariom Singh Rathore, Shri K.H. Muniyappa, Dr. (Smt.) Mamtaz Sanghamita, Smt. Vasanthi M. (all Lok Sabha) and Shri Ahmed Hassan, Shri Ashok Siddharth, Shri K. Somaprasad (all Rajya Sabha). Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Smt. G. Latha Krishna Rao and senior officers of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment were also present.