Hyderabad: Roads & Buildings Minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao conducted a review meeting with senior officials of Women, Children, Disabled and Senior Citizens at the National Academy of Construction (NAC) here on Tuesday.

Sridhar, Director, Welfare of Disabled and Senior Citizens and M. Prashanti, Deputy Secretary to Government, Women, Children, Disabled and Senior Citizens were among other officials who attended the review meeting.

During the meeting, the minister directed the officials to ensure that the Arogya Lakshmi Scheme of providing one hot cooked full meal to pregnant lactating women, launched on 1st January, is implemented in all Anganwadi Centres with full commitment with no scope for complaints. All infrastructure and items should be put in place for carrying out the programme successfully. It should be ensured that fine rice and good quality milk is supplied, he said.

The minister advised the officials to seek due central funds for schemes sponsored by Government of India like and ICDS & ICPS and also aim to expand the schemes like “’SABLA” and “KISHORI SHAKTI YOJANA” targeted to improve the health and awareness of adolescent girls, to all districts of the State, as presently these schemes are restricted only to Hyderabad, Warangal and Nalgonda Districts.

One Stop Resource Centres should be started in all Districts as already instructed to District Collectors. These OSRCs will be preferably established in hospitals and will provide medical attention, legal counselling and police protection to victims of atrocities, domestic violence etc., the minister said.

Tummala also instructed that repairs should be taken up in all dilapidated buildings and an action plan should be drawn for improving the infrastructure of Anganwadi centers, buildings and Mahila Pranganams.

The schemes of the Department of Welfare of Disabled and Senior Citizens were also reviewed. The minister instructed that as far as possible all eligible disabled should be covered 100 per cent under all welfare schemes like distribution of aids and providing of housing and other such benefits. Priority should be given to those having highest percentage of disability under the different categories i.e., blind, hearing impaired and orthopedically handicapped persons.

On being informed about the need to have old age homes in all districts, the minister responded that the government would consider taking up establishment of old age homes in all districts in a phased manner.

The minister instructed that there should be coordinated efforts by all departments to ensure that no beggars are on the roads in Hyderabad and other Districts. Not only food and rehabilitation, but life skills should be extended to beggars so that they become self employed and are deterred from continuing begging as a profession, he said.

In conclusion, the minister reiterated that the schemes of Women, Children, Disabled and Senior Citizens Department should be implemented with utmost care and dedication to markedly improve the status of Women, Children, Disabled and Senior Citizens in society. He further informed that he would conduct one more detailed review within 10 days.