Bhubaneswar: A review meeting of the Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) was held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Minister for School and Mass Education, ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare and SSEPD, Nityananda Gond. The meeting, held at the Conference Hall of SIDR on the Capital Hospital campus, focused on the progress of ongoing schemes, timely disbursal of pensions, and infrastructure development.
Senior officials including SSEPD Director Niyati Pattnaik, Financial Advisor-cum-Special Secretary Jayashree Tripathy, Additional Secretary Sonia Behera, and Sri Bhaskar Raito were present along with other staff members.
During the meeting, the Minister conducted a detailed review of various welfare schemes and programs being run by the department. He examined the status of pending projects, legal matters, and the sanctioning process of social security pensions. Stressing the importance of efficiency, he instructed officials to carry out regular reviews of all schemes to ensure their timely disposal and reach to beneficiaries.
In a major announcement, Minister Gond revealed that an additional 83,135 beneficiaries have been approved to receive social security pensions at the enhanced rate of ₹3,500 per month. With this, the total number of pension recipients in the state has now touched approximately five lakh. He emphasized that administrative and policy-level hurdles must be addressed promptly so that eligible individuals can access benefits without difficulty.
The Minister further instructed departmental officers to ensure that all infrastructure projects are completed within stipulated timelines. He also called for regular monitoring of institutions such as special schools and old age homes operating across the state.
Focusing on financial efficiency, the Minister reviewed the status of budget utilization and stressed the importance of achieving 100% use of allocated funds. He urged timely implementation of all welfare activities aimed at senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.
