On the occasion of the department of Social Welfare’s 50 years Golden Jubilee Celebrations, advisor social welfare Noke Wangnao appealed to department officials to be more responsible in fulfilling needs of the people.
Addressing the grand celebration as the guest of honour at capital convention centre on Wednesday in Kohima, the advisor expressed joy in being a part of the event stating that it was his “second inning” serving the department, after having served from 1977-1982.
He recalled that in the initial years, the department started with three DWO’s and one ICDS project and now it had grown to eight DWO’s, nine DPO’s, 60 ICDS projects and various commissions catering to the needs of senior citizens, the destitute, differently abled, and women and children through a network of 3980 Anganwadi centres.
Over the years he said the responsibilities and prerogatives of the department were increasing and said he would attend to those who were in need but be very firm with officers who do not perform. Wangnao asserted that the department played a key role in delivering services to target beneficiaries and promised his commitment to ensure that services are delivered to the targeted beneficiaries.
Secretary social welfare Sarah R. Ritse, in her brief address said that for a way forward and the development of a state, the process must also include upliftment of the weakest and the most vulnerable sections of society– especially those in the most rural areas of the state.
Just as the name of the department says, the department was meant to look into the welfare of those in societies that need assistance and intervention, she stated.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi who said “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members”, Ritse said the work or success of a department like Social Welfare was a reflection on the State itself.
She said the department must realize and acknowledge that the programs and schemes they implement were much more than a “government duty” but they were also very important humanitarian works.
Ritse commented that the problem found in many government establishments was because of following an old set system that was in place for decades and said what worked 50 or 40 years ago may not be as effective today. Director social welfare T. Merangtsüngba Aier in his address paid rich tributes to all retired officers and staff colleagues for their relentless and untiring contributions to the department.
He recalled that the department started off with four officers in 1968 and today there were more than 150 officers and about a thousand staff. Also Aier reported that the department had improved the delivery system in the ICDS program, better quality with micro nutrient fortified supplementary food and varieties of modern educative and durable ICDS materials were made available in all the 3980 Anganwadi centres covering all the villages across the state reaching 3.66 lakh ICDS beneficiaries.
Further he said the department was providing old age pension to 57400 senior citizens, 4464 widows, 3276 disable persons, scholarship to 208 students, 1625 completely blind persons and more than 50 NGOs with Grants-in-Aid.
First director of SW, A.Y Odyuo, retired director Khevito T. Shohe also spoke at the event.
The celebration was marked by an obituary reference, special song presentation by The Nagaland Chamber Choir, drama on the theme “Uplift” by Dreamz Unlimited and Cherry Blossom School Kohima. Earlier Noke Wangnao also released the jubilee souvenir and memento.
Ministers, advisors, and a host of senior government officials from various departments, department officials and others attended the event.