‘Delhi-specific criteria must for scheme beneficiaries’

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday advocated a “Delhi-specific” vulnerability criterion to identify beneficiaries of social sector schemes.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday advocated a “Delhi-specific” vulnerability criterion to identify beneficiaries of social sector schemes.

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She favoured re-evaluation of all social sector schemes and said the annual family income criteria for identifying beneficiaries should be enhanced from existing R60,000 to a “realistic limit”.

The Capital must have a “Delhi-specific vulnerability criterion”, as it has a number of specific characteristics such as migration, attraction of employment and the highest minimum wages, she said.

The chief minister was delivering her valedictory address at a two-day consultation workshop on ‘Family Vulnerability Index and Implementation Plan of a Conditional Cash Transfer Programme’ organised by the UNDP here.

She also referred to a number of social sector schemes, which have been catering to the vulnerable sections of the society. Dikshit said ‘Laadli’ scheme has proved to be successful in increasing enrolment of girls in schools and improvement in sex ratio. She said though the monthly pension for the aged, widows and physically challenged persons in Delhi is highest in the country, it has not been able to cover all eligible persons because of cap on number of beneficiaries.

“It must reach all un-reached persons,” she said.

Dikshit said there will be no dearth of funds for 47 social schemes, which are being integrated through the Mission Convergence. She added that politics should be kept out of social sector.