While addressing the Himachal Pradesh Child Welfare Council (Bal Kalyan Parishad) meeting at Raj Bhawan, Governor Urmila Singh stressed upon the appropriate rehabilitation of the orphans on completion of their studies in the Children Homes (Bal Ashram) in the State.
Governor said that all the children homes being run by government and NGOs needed to be inspected by the State Government from time to time to check any irregularities taking place to minimize the possibilities of mis-happenings as also to ensure rehabilitation of the poor children taking education there. She said that the Child Welfare Council had been rendering yeoman service towards physically challenged and orphan children, old age people and special children by providing them free boarding, lodging and education facilities. She said that it was a pious service towards the deserving sections of the society. She said that the service needed to be extended to every eligible person or children to help them lead a reasonably secure life in the society. She advised the Council to mobilize resources and enroll maximum number of corporate members so that adequate donations were received to carry routine activities of the Council.
Chief Minister, advised the Council to explore possibilities of organizing its meeting at district level wherein local members of the Council could contribute by motivating the well to do sections of the society to lend their supportive hand to elaborate the activities of the Council directed towards the education and other necessary requirements of the deserving children in the area. He said that it would help in bringing such children to join mainstream and progress ahead in their lives. He said that the State Government had liberally been funding various programmes being carried by the Council and wanted its benefits to reach every deserving child in the State. He said that morale boosting and motivating counseling was required to be given to the children studying in Children Home so that they did not suffer from inferiority complex problem.
Chief Minister laid emphasis over the change of mental attitude of the people about such children and instead motivate them to come forward in lending their supportive hand to them so that they could attain new heights in their life. He said that it was the moral responsibility of every well to do person in the society to help vulnerable sections of the society to lead a reasonably respectable life so that entire State could march ahead on the path of progress and prosperity and make Himachal Pradesh a Model State in real sense.
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Sarveen Chaudhary thanked the Governor and Chief Minister for their presence in the Meeting and thanked the Chief Minister for providing Rs. 2 crore to carry forward with various activities of the Children Homes, Hostels and Old Age Homes in the State. She said that the Council happened to be an NGO which had been running three centres for visually impaired, deaf and dumb and physically challenged children, infant home, 143 crèche and four Aaanganwari Training Centres besides one Old Age Home, hostel for Gaddi children, 40 Bal Bariyan, 6 Bal/Balika Ashrams which were rendering yeoman service towards the welfare of the poor and deserving children.
Governor was joined by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister and Smt. Sarveen Chaudhary, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister in launching the website of the Council. Ritu Sethi, General Secretary, Child Welfare Council, detailed initiatives taken by the council towards children welfare during past years and also apprised the meeting of the future plans. S.K.Dash, Principal Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment, welcomed the Chief Minister and conducted proceedings of the meeting. Madhubala Sharma, Director, Women and Child Welfare, proposed vote of thanks. Dr. Shrikant Baldi, Principal Secretary Finance, Smt. Anita Tegta, Secretary to the Governor, Shri K.Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Education, Shri S.S.Guleria, Special Secretary Health, Deputy Commissioners from all the districts, non-official members of the Councils and other senior officers attended the meeting.
