Punjab State Social Welfare Board (PSSWB)

A Brief Introduction

To assist the Voluntary Organizations, the Government of India set up the Central Social Welfare Board, (CSWB) New Delhi on 12th August 1953. Punjab State Social Welfare Board (PSSWB), Chandigarh was set up in October 1954 by State Govt. in consultation with Central Social Welfare Board, New Delhi with an object to develop welfare programmes for the women, children and handicapped through the network of voluntary organizations working in the state of Punjab. The Board provides financial assistance to the voluntary organizations under various schemes provided by Central Social Welfare Board, New Delhi and State Govt. in order to facilitate and strengthen their role in empowering women through education and training, through collective mobilization and awareness creation.

Composition of the State Board

The Punjab State Social Welfare Board is constituted by State Govt. with the concurrence of Central Social Welfare Board, New Delhi as per the provision of the rules governing composition and functioning of the State Social Welfare Boards. The present position of the reconstitution of the State Board is as follows:

Chairperson

The Chairperson of the Punjab State Social Welfare Board is appointed by State Govt. in consultation with Central Social Welfare Board, New Delhi. At present, Smt. Varinder Kaur Thandi is holding the charge of Chairperson of the Board w.e.f. 01.12.2014.

A State Board Chairperson shall hold the office for two consecutive terms, each of 03 years duration. The tenure of Chairperson is fixed for three years.

State Board Members (Non-Official members)

The State Board members are nominated as Central Social Welfare Board and Punjab Government nominees in the ratio of 50: 50.

At Present, 05 State Board Members as Punjab Government nominees has been appointed by Punjab Government after receipt of concurrence from Central Social Welfare Board, New Delhi vide Government of Punjab, Department of Social Security and Women & Child Development (Social Security Branch), Notification No.5/19/2000/6SS/2SS/540675 dated 17.07.2015. The 05 members as Central Social Welfare Board are yet to be appointed. However, the details of present members are given below:

1. Ms. Neelam Choudhary, Kothe Bhim Sain, Dinanagar, District Gurdaspur
2. Ms. Rajwinder Kaur Raju D/o S. Kewal Singh Lally, Village Nangal Shama, PO Ladewali, District Jalandhar
3. Ms. Shashi Narang, 130, Guru Hargobind Nagar, Phagwara, District Kapurthala
4. Ms. Gurminderpal Kaur Dhillon, House No. 19740, Ajit Road, Gali No. 10-A, Bhatinda
5. Sh. Rajinder Kumar, E-38, Uttam Vihar Colony, Abohar, District Fazilka

Official Members

1. Director, Social Security Women & Child Development, Punjab
2. Director, Department of Industries, Punjab
3. Director, Health Services, Punjab
4. Deputy Director, Women Programme, Department of Rural Development & Panchayats, Punjab
5. Secretary, Punjab State Social Welfare Board, Chandigarh: Member Secretary

At Present, following Programmes/Schemes are being implementing through registered voluntary Organizations/NGOs and ICDS Blocks in the state.

Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) Programmes

1. Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Programme for the Children of Working Mothers (Creche)
2. Family Counselling Centre (FCC)
3. Short Stay Home for Women & Girls (SSH)

State Government Programmes

1. Integrated Child Development Scheme (5 Blocks)

Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme for the Children of Working Mothers)

Crèches are established for the children of working and ailing mothers belonging to the lower income group. The children of age group of 0-6 years can be covered under this scheme. Each unit consists of 25 children who are provided with sleeping facilities, health-care, supplementary nutrition, immunization etc.

Schematic Pattern:

The present scheme will provide assistance to Implementing Agency/Mother NGOs for running crèches for babies (6 months to 6 years) for various components as tabulate below:

Recurring Grant (For a crèche of 25 children)

Table: Recurring Grant details

Family Counseling Centre (FCC)

The Board is running one of the schemes of Central Social Welfare Board which is detailed as follows. Women’s organizations and other voluntary social welfare organizations engaged in work relating to women’s issues can avail grants from CSWB for setting up Family Counselling Centres (FCCs). The FCCs are expected to provide counseling, referral and, if possible, rehabilitative services to women victims of atrocities in the family and society and also to others affected by family and social problems and disputes.

Conditions of eligibility

The applicant organizations should have had experience and a track record in social mobilization work and in dealing with women’s issues and problems.

Description of scheme

The Family Counseling Centre should work in close collaboration with local authorities e.g. police and institutions like Short Stay Homes etc. The institution should appoint 2 counselors, holding Masters Degree in Social Work or Psychology. At least one counselor should be a woman. The FCC is expected to intervene in ‘crisis’ cases of atrocities against women.

Objective of the scheme

The objective of the Family Counselling centres is to provide preventive curative and rehabilitative services to women and children who are the victims of atrocities/ exploitation/rape/discord/sexual harassment and mal adjustment and to create awareness in the community on social problems and laws pertaining to the welfare schemes of women. The expenditure is met in ratio 80 : 20 by Central Social Welfare Board and the institution.

The scheme has been revised by CSWB, New Delhi and Revised Financial Norms of FCC scheme communicated to the State Board by CSWB vide No. 14-15/Policy/92-93/Vol.VI dated 17.09.2015 w.e.f. 01.10.2015 are given as under:-

Details of Budget

Short Stay Home for Women & Girls

The scheme of short stay home has been initiated with a view to help those women and girls who has to face mal adjustment, emotional disturbance, sexual harassment , immoral traffic, child abuse marital conflict etc. in the society. They require help and guidance to re gain confidence in themselves to meet the situation and to acquire skills to become self- reliant and to develop relationship with people that could help in the re-establishment of their status in society. Under this scheme they are kept in a short stay home for short time where basic facilities are provided to develop their total personality. The schemes provide the services/ facilities such as temporary shelter to the needy women and girls from 6 months to 3 years, counseling services, medical care and psychiatric treatment, skill development training & rehabilitation services and Educational, Vocational and recreational activities. The home should have an average of 30 residents at a time with facility for minimum of 20 and maximum of 40 residents.

A State Level Empowered Committee consisting of following members was constituted by State Govt. vide notification No. F.3/1/02/4SS/3914 dated 15.01.2003 to scrutinize and recommend the proposals.

Chairperson

1. Secretary, Deptt. of Social Security & Women & Child Development, Punjab.

Members

2. Principal Secretary, Finance Deptt., Punjab.
3. Director, Deptt. of Social Security Women & Child Development, Punjab.
4. Chief Architect, Deptt. of Public Works, Punjab.
5. Sh. Jugraj Singh, Ex-MLA, Chairman, Mata GujriBirdh Ashram, Vill.Khanpur, Near Kharar, Distt. SAS Nagar.
6. Sh. Ashok Prashar, Prashar Kutir, Adarsh Nagar, Phagwara.

Secretary

7. Secretary, Punjab State Social Welfare Board.

Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)

Besides others programmes of the Central Social Welfare Board, the Department of Social Security Women and Child Development, Punjab has sanctioned the following 5 ICDS Blocks in Districts viz. Amritsar, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur and Tarantaran to the Punjab State Social Welfare Board in the border districts of the State.

Table: List of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) Blocks

Note: For the benefits, validity and application procedure of a scheme, please contact your nearest DPO.