Parliamentary Panel Urges Revamp of Women and Child Welfare Schemes

A parliamentary committee led by Digvijaya Singh highlights significant gaps in women and child welfare schemes, urging increased funding and urgent reforms. The report calls for greater allocations, addressing staffing shortages, and enhanced oversight across various programs to ensure effective implementation and support for beneficiaries.

A recent report by a parliamentary committee has highlighted substantial shortcomings in the funding and execution of critical women and child welfare programs. The committee, headed by Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh, pinpointed inadequate budget allocations and implementation gaps across various schemes.

Significant concerns were raised about the budget for the National Commission for Women, deemed insufficient at Rs 36 crore, and the call was made for enhancing it significantly. The committee also noted the pressing issue of vacant child development project officer positions and urged expedited recruitment to address staffing gaps.

Recommendations included ensuring timely fund disbursal by addressing states' slow fund withdrawal and improving the operational setup of One-Stop Centres for women's safety. Calls were made for third-party assessments and integrating multiple child protection portals to strengthen program efficiency and impact.

(With inputs from agencies.)