Question : Schemes for Women and Children

(a) the details of the schemes being implemented for empowerment of women and development of children in the country, particularly through Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) along with proposals received and approved/lying pending for approval along with the amount of budgetary allocation made, funds allocated/released and utilization reported thereunder during each of the last three years and the current year, scheme and State/UT-wise;
(b) whether some schemes sanctioned by the Government have not been taken off in some States particularly in Uttar Pradesh and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(c) whether the Government have sought any additional funds for the said schemes and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether several NGOs seeking financial assistance have been found to be fake and if so, the details thereof along with the measures taken by the Government to test their reliability and the norms/parameters laid down for providing assistance to them;
(e) the irregularities reported/noticed in the utilization of funds by the States/UTs and NGOs during the said period along with the action taken against them; and
(f) the monitoring mechanism put in place by the Government for effective implementation of schemes and to check funds utilizations thereunder?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI KRISHNA RAJ)

(a): The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing various schemes/programmes for empowerment of women and child development through Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) across the country. The details of those schemes are as follows:

i. Swadhar Scheme and Short Stay Homes, now merged as Swadhar Greh Scheme, to provide relief and rehabilitation to destitute women and women in distress. The Scheme envisages providing shelter, food, clothing and health as well as economic and social security for the women victims of difficult circumstances. It targets the women victims of difficult circumstances who are in need of institutional support for rehabilitation so that they could lead their life with dignity.

ii. Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) to ensure sustainable employment and income generation for marginalized and asset-less rural and urban poor women;

iii. Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme (RGNCS) to provide day care facilities to children of age group of 6 months to 6 years of working women who are employed.

iv. Ujjawala a Comprehensive Scheme for prevention of trafficking and rescue, rehabilitation and re-integration of victims of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.

v. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) to provide loan to Intermediary Organisation (IMOs) like NGOs for on-lending to poor women beneficiaries. The Ministry of Women & Child Development launched “Mahila E-haat” under RMK, a unique direct online digital marketing platform for women entrepreneurs/ SHGs/ NGOs in March 2016, to showcase their products and services and to meet aspirations and needs of women entrepreneurs as also providing a marketing platform by leveraging technology. It also aims at financial inclusion and economic empowerment of women.

vi. Working Women Hostels (WWH) for ensuring safe accommodation for women working away from their place of residence. Under the Scheme of Working Women Hostel financial assistance is provided for construction/ running of Hostel in rented premises for facilitating those working women who may be single, widowed, divorced, separated, married but whose husband or immediate family does not reside in the same area and for those women who are under training for job. Provision of day care centre for children of the inmates of the Hostel is an important aspect of the scheme.

The State/UT-wise details of proposals received and approved/lying pending for approval along with the amount of budgetary allocation made, funds allocated/released and utilization reported for the Swadhar Greh, STEP, RGNCS, Ujjawala, RMK and WWH Schemes for the last three years and the current are given at Annexure-I to Annexure-VI respectively.

(b) & (c): No Madam. The above-said Schemes of MWCD are being implemented in all the States/UTs. No additional funds has been sought for these schemes.

(d) & (e): No Madam. The proposals received in the Ministry under various schemes for financial assistance are carefully examined as per schematic norms.

(f): The Ministry holds regular review meetings with Women and Child Development Departments of State Governments/UT Administrations to discuss the issues for effective implementation of the programmes and schemes to expedite beneficiary coverage and proper fund utilization. Regional level consultations are also held to discuss issues concerning implementation of schemes. The monitoring reports received from States/UTs are analyzed in the Ministry. The problem areas are communicated to concerned States/UTs for taking corrective actions. In addition, regular State visits are conducted by the Ministry’s officials in order to understand the implementation problems being faced by States/UTs. For effective implementation of schemes of MWCD run by NGOs and to check funds utilization, the Schemes have in-built monitoring mechanism. Also, the regular follow-up is done by the Ministry and the States/UTs for every sanction of fund to the NGOs. The Schemes are also periodically reviewed for their proper and better implementation.

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