Pages

Friday, July 18, 2014

Minister chairs review meeting with ICDS functionaries from West Sikkim

GYALSHING, 17 July: A review meeting of grassroot level ICDS functionaries was held here at the Community Hall today. The meeting had Minister Tulsi Devi Rai, who is also the Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Welfare Department, along with the other officials from the Social Welfare Department.
The meeting discussed the various problems being faced by the ICDS Centers in the region and what actions needed to be taken to upgrade them. The program saw a handsome participation of the ICDS functionaries who raised various issues related to their way of functioning.
Many ICDS functionaries raised the issue of what they see as the paltry salary they are being paid in return of their dedicated service and requested the government to look into the matter seriously.
Leela Hangma Limboo, an ICDS teacher, raised the issue of irregular delivery of food items for students and poor packaging of food items and requested the authorities to take note of this problem.
Pushpa Kala Gautam, a 60 year old lady who is working as a teacher in an ICDS center at Middle Chongrang, also sought details on whether there was a pension plan for ICDS workers. The ICDS workers have not been brought under the pension plan yet either by the central government or by the state government. She said that throughout their life, she has worked hard to improve the education sector in the state, yet, she will be retiring from service without any incentives. She urged the government to look into the matter.
Other ICDS functionaries raised issues like uneven distribution of uniforms to ICDS students. It has been informed that the government had distributed uniforms across the state in 2012 for infants at the ICDS centres. No uniforms have been issued to them since then.
They have further demanded that there be proper cooking facilities at each ICDS center. They have demanded for the issue of an LPG cylinder at each center.
Minister Tulsi Devi Rai, while responding to the points raised, assured that the demands placed by the ICDS functionaries will be given the utmost attention by the state govt.
Speaking on women’s empowerment, she said that the women have played the role of constructive protagonist in every field and declared that the ICDS has been the best forum through which the women have been able to transform the society. She said that the women participation in the said scheme has been fruitful as the children from the lower strata of the society get blessed with education. She was all praises for the functioning of ICDS workers.
The Minister further informed that a model ICDS center will be established in every district where all the facilities will be made available to the students and depending on the functioning of such model ICDS centers, other centers will be opened. She said that she is optimistic about the better outcome of the project that is likely to be initiated so soon.
Today’s meeting was well attended by ICDS functionaries from all over the district and they attested it as a fruitful one during which they could share their opinions in a better way. They said that they are hopeful of getting their problems so soon.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Readers are invited to comment on, criticise, run down, even appreciate if they like something in this blog. Comments carrying abusive/ indecorous language and personal attacks, except when against the people working on this blog, will be deleted. It will be exciting for all to enjoy some earnest debates on this blog...