SANJAY PANDEY Ranchi: In a significant move for the upliftment of transgender individuals in Jharkhand, a dedicated board will be established. Additionally, committees, headed by district magistrates, will be formed in each district. Currently designated as OBC-II, the department is devising a comprehensive plan for their empowerment. This announcement was made by Mr. Kripanand Jha, Secretary of the Department of Women, Child Development, and Social Security, during a press conference.
Mr. Jha highlighted that, in alignment with the Chief Minister’s directives, the department is actively working on social security initiatives at various levels to promote social upliftment. Providing detailed insights into departmental schemes, he mentioned that nine schemes under the National Pension Scheme are operational in the state, three of which are centrally sponsored, while six are state-run. To ensure timely benefits for pensioners, a dedicated revolving fund of ₹100 crores has been established.
Over the past four years, there has been an 82% increase in pensioners in the state. Under the “Your Rights, Your Government, Your Way” program in 2023, the state received applications for pension exceeding 656,000.
Regarding women’s welfare, Mr. Jha informed that under the Savitribai Phule Kishori Samriddhi Yojana, 621,000 beneficiaries have been covered by 2023-24 to encourage dropout girls to pursue education. Additionally, financial aid for widow remarriage and economic assistance for weddings of economically weaker sections has been initiated.
The department is actively working on enhancing Anganwadi centers, converting 6,850 centers into Smart Anganwadis and providing more than 29,000 workers with smartphones. Plans include constructing more than 10,000 Anganwadi buildings funded by DMFT and CSR funds. The focus is on making services more effective for workers and beneficiaries.
Mr. Jha emphasized the department’s commitment to maternal and child welfare, introducing schemes like maternal kit distribution and sanitary napkin distribution. The state government is providing financial assistance for the marriage of over 11,880 girls and launching a scheme to benefit 6 lakh pregnant women. The Kishor Nyay Board has been expanded to expedite the resolution of cases related to child rights violations.
In Ranchi district, plans are underway to construct a “Place of Sept” facility for children in conflict with the law, budgeted at 1107.23 lakhs. The department is actively recruiting against 64 vacant positions in child development projects and 444 positions for female supervisors. The assistance of JPSC and JSSC will be sought to fill these positions.
