Srinagar (NVI) : Career counselling desks will be set up in the offices of Deputy Commissioners in Kashmir for the students orphaned because of militancy.
The desks will provide financial assistance to such students for pursuing education as per their choice.
Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Baseer Ahmad Khan issued these directions while chairing a meeting to review the cases of militancy-affected orphans receiving financial assistance from National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH) through the district administrations in the Valley.
The meeting was informed that National Foundation for Communal Harmony, an autonomous organization under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, provides financial support to children rendered orphans and destitute by militancy.
It was told that the organization is providing Rs 1250 monthly financial assistance up to 12th standard, Rs 1500 up to Graduation & Post Graduation level and Rs 1750 for Professional Courses level (up to 25 years of age) to the orphans.
The meeting was informed that an amount of Rs 1.89 crore was disbursed to 1211 militancy-affected orphans in 2017-18 and Rs 1.61 crore was disbursed to 938 such students in 2018-19.
The Divisional Commissioner stressed the importance of project “Assist” which is helping orphans of militancy to pursue better careers.
For quick transfer of funds, DCs were asked to open Bank Accounts with Aadhaar Numbers and conduct District Level Screening Committee (DLSC) meeting regularly to speed up the identification of new cases.
Khan directed the District Social Welfare officers to maintain close coordination with their respective Deputy Commissioners for verification, reconciliation and submission of pending cases during the present financial year. He also asked them meet the orphans once in a month for redressal of grievance if any.
The DCs were directed to identify those orphans who have attained 25 years of age and need financial assistance to pursue further studies and were asked to submit a proposal in this regard to NFCH.
The DCs were also asked to submit Utilization Certificates (UCs) of funds to the NFCH office within a week.
To assess the impact of the program, the DCs were directed to provide a database of such orphans who have benefitted from the scheme and are pursuing a successful career.
Secretary NFCH Manoj Pant informed that a national study tour under the project “Know My India” is organised annually and this year 12 students of Baramulla district are participating in the programme.
