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Bhubaneswar, August 12: There are various schemes for the urban poor and workers in the unorganised sector but they do not include deserving people, mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said here Friday.
The mayor was chief guest at a dissemination meet organised by Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR). The meet was aimed at sharing the key findings of a community-centred baseline study conducted on the extent and quality of access marginalised women enjoy in key welfare schemes, programmes and entitlements.
The study gauged the degree of exclusion of women from key schemes and the impact of such exclusion on their access to allied schemes. It also assessed the extent of inclusion of urban poor in specific government schemes and the level of women’s participation in community-level structures such as school management committees, women’s health committees and ward committees.
“We need to work together to include all — even those who do not have ration cards — in such schemes. For that to happen, ward councillors need to prepare a list of those deserving to receive social entitlements,” the mayor said.
He exhorted communities to apply for houses under Rajiv Awas Yojana and assured complete support from the municipal corporation authorities.
Deputy mayor K Santhi spoke of the research done by community researchers and pointed out gaps that need to be addressed in such work. “BMC will extend full support to all the people who are waiting to obtain ration cards, Aadhar cards voter identity cards and labour cards,” she said.
Sukant Kumar Mishra, programme manager (urban health), National Health Mission (NHM), in turn, highlighted the need to encourage community-led initiatives. “Strengthening women’s health committees is important to create awareness about health services among women. Our survey has helped officials implement schemes and service providers to understand the concerns of the communities,” Sukant Kumar said.
According to him, the study has reaffirmed the rationale behind implementing single window systems, which, as mechanisms and common platforms, give communities rightful access to schemes and foster convergence between administrations and communities.
Pinky from Rickshaw Colony who had worked as community researcher involved in the study and is a member of women’s health committee, said: “By working as a community researcher, I understood the problems people in my settlement were facing. Most of them are single women who work as domestic helps. They go for work in the mornings and return in the evening.
“They do not have ration cards, Aadhar cards or any other proof of residence. It is difficult for them to go around offices to collect information and avail of these schemes leaving their daily work. Their demand is to change governance of these programmes in a way that they are more community inclusive,” Pinky said.
Participants in the day-long event included representatives from departments of WCD, SC/ST corporation and civil supplies and councilors of ward numbers 52, 53 and 14.
