PANAJI
Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldesai said on Friday that field workers from his department were in the process of gathering information and verified details to clean rosters of ineligible beneficiaries of the various welfare schemes in the State.
In comments made to a local channel, Phaldesai said, the field workers have also been tasked with the job to simultaneously identify genuine citizens who are eligible but not yet covered so that they can be asked to apply and given the benefits.
The minister said, the department has already completed surveying persons with physical disabilities (PwPDs) which are approximately around 19,000. He, however, added that the number appears to be on the lower side and a re-survey will be conducted to reach out to PwPDs who may be left out.
He also said that it is his endeavour to create a special mechanism and ensure that benefits reach the PwPDs regularly and without any interruptions.
Other welfare schemes, including the 'Griha Adhar', old age pension among others, collectively have a beneficiary base of around 1.38 lakh citizens. This base of beneficiaries is what is being scrutinized to eliminate those who are ineligible as per the schemes' conditions, he added.
