Health Minister Vishwajit Rane interacts with women during a programme organised by the Department of Women and Child Development in Navelim constituency. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
With Chief Minister Pramod Sawant reviving the Sarkar Tujea Dari programme ahead of the upcoming Goa Legislative Assembly elections, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, who also holds the Women and Child Development portfolio, has adopted a more direct approach to public outreach, interacting with citizens and visiting senior citizens in need of government assistance.
Apparently responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for ministers to engage closely with citizens, understand their grievances and ensure their timely redressal, Rane on Monday reached out to people in Navelim constituency, opting for direct interactions over conventional public engagements.
At a programme organised by the Department of Women and Child Development, the minister chose not to confine himself to the dais. Instead, he stepped down to mingle with the women in the audience, hear their concerns and invite suggestions on improving the implementation of government welfare schemes, including the Griha Aadhar scheme.
Earlier in the day, Rane visited the homes of elderly citizens requiring assistance under the state’s State Care scheme, highlighting the need to identify beneficiaries and address the practical difficulties they face in accessing healthcare.
During a visit to a family at Khareband, the minister was informed that the family had to spend around Rs 2,000 to transport a patient to hospital for blood tests and other medical procedures.
“When I visited the family at Khareband, we were informed that the family needs to spend Rs 2,000 to transport the patient to the hospital for blood tests and other procedures. We had mapped the people who require our support under the State Care scheme,” Rane said.
Sources familiar with the development said the minister’s direct-interaction initiative followed his recent meeting with the Prime Minister and was aimed at taking public outreach beyond the format of the government’s Sarkar Tujea Dari programme.
“When I called on the Prime Minister, he sought to know how many people I had interacted with as the State’s Health Minister as part of my official engagements. This shows that the Prime Minister wants ministers to reach out to those in need and resolve their grievances,” Rane had recently told the media.
