Shillong, January 10: The State Government had brought out the Meghalaya Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act, 2017 (Act No.7 of 2017). A pilot social audit exercise was done by the Programme Implementation & Evaluation Department and a National Convention on Social Audit was organized by the Government on 15th and 16th December, 2017 to share the findings on the social audit.
One of the policy implications of the findings was that there is a felt need for bringing parity between CM’s Social Assistance Scheme implemented by Social Welfare Department and National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by Community and Rural Development Department.
The amount assisted under CM’s Social Assistance Scheme is Rs. 500/- per month per beneficiary for the infirms, widows and disabled pensioner. Whereas, under NSAP, assistance per beneficiary to the Old Age pensioner is Rs. 250/- per month including an amount of Rs. 50/- only topped up by the State Government.
The assistance for Widow and Disabled pensioner is Rs. 300/- per month per beneficiary. The Chief Minister has therefore announced in the National Convention that this disparity is to be immediately addressed. Rs. 431.27 lakhs has been sanctioned as State Assistance for old age pensioner, Rs. 58.82 lakhs for Widows and Rs. 11.62 lakhs for disabled pensioner for bringing at par the quantum of assistance between the two schemes.
Henceforth, the pensioners and beneficiaries under NSAP will get Rs. 500.00 per month. This will be effective from December 2017. The Deputy Commissioners and BDOs have been requested to create awareness about the new scale of assistance being provided by the State Government. This initiative will benefit over 52000 beneficiaries across the state.
