Shimla: V.S.Kokje, Governor gave a clarion call to the NGOs, non-official and influential members to motivate business houses to join the crusade towards social reforms in the State and help poor and deprived children get suitably educated and rehabilitated. Guv was presiding over the 24th Annual General Meeting of the reconstituted Himachal Pradesh State Council for Child Welfare held here today.
Governor emphasized the need to launch mass membership enrolment drive to rope in every social welfare activist with the movement so that maximum members were associated with the activities of the State Child Welfare Council. He said that the objective of the Council was to provide necessary help in educational and rehabilitation endeavours of the underprivileged children so that they were equipped with skills to lead socially and economically a secure life in the society.
He said that a number of prominent business houses had created charitable trusts and were actively involved in social welfare activities, which needed to be associated with the State Child Welfare Council activities so that the under privileged children of the State were also benefitted.
Himachal CM, Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal said that the State had centre sponsored 142 creches and four state sponsored benefitting 1,156 children in the age group of zero to three years of age in ten of the districts of the State. He said that seven more creches had been proposed to be opened at Bagan in Kullu district, Satlai in Shimla district, Ballu Khaliara and Dakri in Bilaspur district of the State while three others would be opened in districts of Sirmour, Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti to benefit children in those areas. He said that skill upgradation programames were also conducted from time to time to brighten the prospectus of the admitted members. He said that school for visually challenged, speech and hearing impaired children, physically challenged children had been made operational at different places of the state where free facilities were available to the children. He said that ‘Shishu Griha’ for abandoned children had also been opened at Shimla to provide safe haven to unfortunate children.Prof.
Dhumal emphasized the need to associate the Non-Government Organizations in the child welfare activities to supplement the endeavour of the State directed towards achievement of the objective. He said that non-official members could be instrumental in giving renewed momentum to the child welfare activities in the State.
It was decided in the meeting to elect the new General Secretary for the Council and enhance the honorarium from Rs. 4000 to Rs. 5000 per month besides other facilities to the incumbent.
