Centre monitoring Dharali disaster, GoI providing all possible help: Athawale

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun

Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said that the Central government is keeping a close watch on the situation in Dharali following the recent flash flood. He said that natural disasters are currently beyond human control, but both the Central and State governments are taking all necessary steps to provide relief to the affected people and to manage the situation.

Addressing the media here on Saturday, the minister said that incidents of atrocities against Dalits do exist in Uttarakhand, but both the State government and the Centre are committed to reducing them. He said that with increased awareness among Dalits, they are now approaching the police for justice. He said that the 1989 Atrocities Act, which came after the 1955 PCR Act, reduced such incidents by making such cases non-bailable.

Regarding the government’s welfare and rehabilitation initiatives, he said that Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan is being implemented in every district of the country. More than 1,700 de-addiction centres have been set up across the country so far, on which about Rs 345 crore has been spent, and which have the support of hospitals and doctors. For the welfare of senior citizens, he informed about the Vriddhashram Yojana, under which there is a provision of about Rs 16,000 per home for setting up old-age homes in every district. More than 1,650 old-age homes have been built across the country so far, with approximately Rs 321 crore spent on them.

Athawale said that the Scheduled Caste population in Uttarakhand is about 19 per cent, Scheduled Tribe about four per cent and OBC about 14 per cent. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, a grant of about Rs 1.8 lakh to Rs 2.1 lakh is given for building a house. Referring to major schemes and achievements of the government, he said that under the

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (2014) about 56 crore accounts have been opened across the country, including about 39 lakh accounts in Uttarakhand. Loans worth about Rs 3.48 lakh crore have been distributed across the country, including about 34 lakh loans in Uttarakhand under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana. Under the Ujjwala Yojana, more than 10 crore gas connections have been given across the country, including about five lakh connections in Uttarakhand. Further, under the

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban): About 91 lakh urban houses have been completed across the country, including about 39,000 in Uttarakhand. Health insurance of Rs five lakh per family has been provided under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Yojana with about 1.62 crore beneficiaries across the country, including about 15 lakh people from Uttarakhand. Similarly, about 36 crore LED bulbs were distributed across the country, including about 56 lakh in Uttarakhand under the Ujala Yojana, he said.