About The Department
 

The Department of Social Security and Development of Women & Children, Punjab started functioning in the year 1955. From 1955-89, the Department worked for the welfare of Widows & Destitute women; Old Age Persons; Blind and Mentally Retarded and Orphaned & Dependent children along with steps to curb immoral trafficking. For this period, the Department was a part of the bigger Department of Social Welfare. In 1989, the Department of Social Welfare was bifurcated into the Department of Social Security and Department of Welfare of SCs and BCs.
 

Department of Social Security

1. All matters relating to the welfare of physically handicapped persons including:-

   • Institutional services for the blind, deaf and dumb and orthopedically handicapped

   • Scholarships to the handicapped students

   • Sheltered workshop

   • Prosthetic aid to the physically handicapped persons

   • Financial assistance to victims of chronic diseases

   • Educational and vocational facilities for the mentally retarded children

   • Vocational Rehabilitation Centers for the handicapped

   • Brail Press of Library for the visually handicapped

   • Policy regarding reservation for physically handicapped persons in the services

2. Eradication of beggary.

3. All measures for social security such as :-

   • Financial assistance to dependent children

   • Financial assistance to widow and destitute women

   • Financial assistance to permanently disabled persons

   • Pension to the aged and  the infirm; and

   • Institutional services for the aged

4. All matters relating to social research and training including establishment of Research-cum-Information Centers for conducting social survey and disseminating information, monitoring and evaluation and conducting of training programme for social workers.

5. All matters relating to the financial assistance in the shape of grant-in-aid to voluntary welfare organizations, State awards for persons or organizations working in the field of Social Welfare and Field Counseling for the improvement and expansion of programmes run by the Voluntary Welfare Organizations.

6. All matters relating to relief measures including :-

   • Care and maintenance of inmates in various Homes or infirmaries and privately managed relief institutions located in the State

   • Payment to cash allowances to displaced persons living outside homes and infirmaries

   • Settlement of old outstanding claims etc. in respect of defunct-relief institutions

   • Training of inmates of Homes and Infirmaries in different vocational and professional courses

7. All matters relating to Social Health, anti-drug addiction measures and counseling services for families in distress and those affected by social atrocities and social maladies etc.

Department of Women and Child Development

1. All matters relating to child welfare including:

   • Recreating facilities through Holidays Homes, Day Camp, Teens Tour Programmers and Children Clubs;

   • Institutional and non-institutional services for the orphaned, illegitimate, unclaimed and destitute children through orphanages, Ball Bhawans, foster-care and adoption services.

   • Integrated Child Development Services.

   • Crash Nutrition Programme including Supplementary Nutrition.

   • Family and Child Welfare Projects.

   • National Children's Fund.

   • Institutional and non-institutional Services under the Juvenile Justice Act.1996.

   • All matters relating to the Administration of Child Marriage Restraint Act.1929.

   • Child budgeting.

2. All matters relating to Women including;

   • Welfare Extension Project for Women in rural areas.

   • Homes for widows and destitute women.

   • Hostels for working girls.

   • Nutrition and health services to the pregnant and lactating mothers.

   • Welfare measures for the women rescued from moral danger.

   • Setting up Protective Homes under Suppression of Immoral Traffic-in Women and Girls Act, 1956 and matters connected thereto.

   • After care services for the discharge of Correctional and Non-correctional Institutions

   • Anti dowry measures; and

   • Gender budgeting.

3. All matters relating to the Administration of the Punjab Women and Children Development and Welfare Corporation Act, 1979.

4. All matters relating to Women Empowerment.

5. Mahila Mandals.

6. Planning research, evaluation, monitoring and establishment of production and training centers for women and children.

7. Punjab State Commission for Women;

8. All kind of crimes against Women including;

   • Violence against Women.

   • Sexual harassment for women and;

   • The Commission of Sati Prevention Act, 1987.

9. All residual matters concerning the