Govt focus on social sector in next Plan: Dikshit

Delhi government will put special focus on social sector during the 12th Five Year Plan, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said on Wednesday.

New Delhi: Delhi government will put special
focus on social sector during the 12th Five Year Plan,
particularly to ensure welfare for women, senior citizens and
poor people, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said on Wednesday.

Addressing a meeting to finalise priorities for the
sector during the 12th plan period, Dikshit said her
government was committed to ensure improvement in the quality
of life of senior citizens, children, women.

She said government was in the process of formulating a
comprehensive policy to address various concerns of senior
citizens and to ensure speedy and friendly delivery of public
services to them.

"The policy aims at providing assistance to senior
citizens. It also proposes affirmative action by various
government departments to ensure that public services for
senior citizens are made more user friendly and sensitive,"
she said.

Noting that her government has created world class
infrastructure in city in the run up to the Commonwealth
Games, Dikshit said the focus has now been shifted to social
sector.

Social Welfare Minister Kiran Walia, Industries Minister
Ramakant Goswami, Chief Secretary P K Tripathi, Chairperson of
Delhi Women Commission Barkha Singh were among those present
in the meeting.

Dikshit said Delhi Government has been implementing a
number of schemes for the welfare of senior citizens and women
in Delhi and more focused efforts would be initiated in this
regard.

Dikshit said a total of 257 cases relating to senior
citizens were redressed as per provision of "The Maintenance
and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007" which
had come into force in the city in September, 2008.

The government had set up nine tribunals to help senior
citizens appeal against any non compliance of provisions of
Act which provides for compulsory maintenance and welfare of
senior citizens by their families.

Giving account of various schemes being implemented by
Social Welfare department, she said it was running two
residential homes for senior citizens while 31 homes and 75
recreation centres for senior citizens are being run by NGOs
with financial assistance from Delhi government.

Dikshit further said that government has appointed 17
Women Protection Officers to protect women from any form of
domestic violence.

She said Department of Women and Child Development has
been running nine Crises Intervention Centres, which provide a
support system to victims of rape.

Walia said 11 centres have been opened by Delhi government
for providing shelter and food to the street children. Twenty
more such centers will come up soon. She said a comprehensive
plan will be chalked out to combat beggary in the capital.

PTI

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