Leh, Feb 06: The Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, on Friday chaired a comprehensive review meeting of the Social and Tribal Welfare Department to assess its organisational framework, manpower availability and the pace of implementation of welfare schemes across the Union Territory. The meeting was held in Leh.
Administrative Secretary, Social Welfare and Tribal Affairs Department, Shashanka Ala, presented a detailed overview of the departmental structure, reporting mechanisms and the existing human resource position.
The Chief Secretary undertook a unit-wise review of staff deployment and examined whether the present manpower is sufficient to ensure timely and effective delivery of welfare services in remote as well as urban areas of Ladakh.
A detailed assessment of the schemes and missions being implemented by the department was also carried out. Under Mission Poshan, the status of Anganwadi infrastructure, service reach, availability of basic facilities and the nutritional condition of beneficiaries came up for discussion.
Placing clear emphasis on the role of grassroots workers, the Chief Secretary examined a proposal for enhancing the monthly honorarium of Anganwadi Workers and underlined that a stronger, better-supported frontline workforce is essential for improving outreach and service quality under Mission Vatsalya, Mission Shakti and the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).
He observed that the effectiveness of maternal, child protection and women-centric interventions largely depends on the motivation, capacity and field support available to Anganwadi Workers and other frontline functionaries.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of the Dharti Aaba Janjati Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, with discussions centred on priority intervention areas and delivery outcomes in tribal habitations.
Initiatives undertaken by the UT administration in the fields of skill development and employment generation, institutional strengthening, capacity building and early childhood screening were reviewed in detail. UT-funded schemes for Persons with Disabilities, along with student support and social security coverage — including scholarships, student assistance programmes and pension schemes — were also taken up for assessment.
The Chief Secretary further reviewed the REWA schemes, student scholarship programmes and integrated social security schemes, including coverage of old-age pension beneficiaries. Operational constraints and support requirements under Mission Poshan, Mission Vatsalya and Mission Shakti were discussed at length.
Concluding the meeting, Ashish Kundra directed the department to organise capacity-building workshops in both Leh and Kargil districts to strengthen field-level coordination and improve implementation efficiency at the grassroots.
The meeting was attended by District Social Welfare Officer, Leh, Mohd Safdar Bhat; DPO, ICDS Leh, AG Zargar, and other concerned officers and officials of the department.
