Himachal CM reviews working of social justice and empowerment department

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 9 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday presided over a meeting of the Social Justice and Empowerment Department in Shimla and reviewed various schemes of the department.
He gave directions to develop an online platform for applying for the various welfare schemes, adding that the state government has prioritised the social security sector and 30 per cent of the additional resources generated would be spent in this sector to ensure the welfare of the vulnerable sections of the society, an official release said.
He said that 40,000 new beneficiaries had been included in the social security pension fixed for the current financial year as per the budget announcement.
Sukhu said that the state government would take care of the health of the children of widows and would also bear all the expenses of the treatment of cancer patients covered under the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojna.
He also directed the department to provide protein-rich nutritional supplements through anganwadis to eligible expectant and lactating mothers. The Himachal CM directed the constitution of a committee of Secretary, Health, and Secretary, Education, to study the nutritional values of food items being supplied to the 'anganwaris' and said that the quality food items must be ensured.
The Chief Minister said that the design of a state-of-the-art de-addiction centre to be constructed at Kotla Barog in Sirmaur district has been prepared, and the construction work would be started in the month of January next year.
He also reviewed the upcoming Centre of Excellence for specially abled children at Kandaghat in the Solan district and directed to start the construction work of the higher education wing in the first phase.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. (Col) Dhani Ram Shandil, Principal Secretary Finance Devesh Kumar, Secretary Ashish Singhmar, Secretary to Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar, Director ESOMSA Kiran Bhadana, and Director Women and Child Development Gandharva Rathore were present in the meeting. (ANI)