Welfare Boost for Assam: Union Secretary Reviews Key Social Schemes
Union Secretary Sudhansh Pant reviews the progress of Nasha Mukt Bharat, PM-AJAY, and NAMASTE schemes to boost social welfare in Assam.
In a significant move to ensure that the benefits of central welfare programs reach the grassroots level, Union Secretary of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Sudhansh Pant, conducted a comprehensive review of the implementation of various ministry schemes in Assam. The high-level meeting, held at Loksewa Bhawan, focused on critical areas including drug demand reduction, the development of Scheduled Castes, senior citizen welfare, and the rehabilitation of vulnerable groups.
The review session saw the participation of key state officials, including Ajay Tiwari, Additional Chief Secretary of the Home and Political Department, and Pallav Gopal Jha, Secretary of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, along with other senior state government officers.
A Call for 'Whole-of-Government' Synergy
During the discussions, Union Secretary Sudhansh Pant underscored the necessity of a coordinated, "whole-of-government" approach. He stressed that the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment must act as an effective nodal agency to synchronize the efforts of various departments and agencies involved in the execution of these schemes.
While appreciating the progress Assam has made so far, the Union Secretary highlighted the need for deeper convergence among three flagship initiatives: Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, PM-AJAY, and NAMASTE.
Combatting Drug Abuse: Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
The fight against substance abuse has seen extensive coverage across the state. The data revealed a massive outreach effort under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan:
- Reach: Activities have spanned all districts of Assam, touching the lives of 27.71 lakh people.
- Education: 6,575 activities were conducted across 10,614 educational institutions.
- Community Support: The state has registered 13,712 Nasha Mukti Mitra volunteers and recorded 2,24,783 e-pledges.
- Infrastructure: Assam currently operates 16 Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts and six state-funded de-addiction and rehabilitation centres, complemented by various outreach facilities.
Empowering Scheduled Castes via PM-AJAY
The review also highlighted the strides made under the PM-AJAY scheme to uplift Scheduled Caste communities. Integrated development has been initiated in 721 Scheduled Caste villages.
On the economic front, the livelihood component has approved 5,269 beneficiaries, which includes individual Scheduled Caste women and women from Self-Help Groups. This initiative involves a total financial commitment of ₹26.34 crore. Furthermore, the state plans to construct 28 mini stadiums in areas dominated by Scheduled Castes to promote sports and youth engagement.
Dignity for Sanitation Workers: The NAMASTE Scheme
Focusing on the most marginalized workers, the NAMASTE program has profiled 483 sewer and septic tank workers and 6,365 waste pickers across 96 Urban Local Bodies. The program is dedicated to improving occupational safety by providing personal protective equipment, ensuring health coverage, and transitioning toward mechanised sanitation practices to eliminate hazardous manual work.
Senior Citizen Care and Vulnerable Groups
The Union Secretary also evaluated the impact of the AVYAY scheme for senior citizens and the SMILE scheme, which focuses on the rehabilitation of persons engaged in begging.
Under the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, the state has provided assistance to 10,715 senior citizens. From the start of the 2026–27 cycle up to October 27, 2026, a total of 48,756 assistive devices were distributed to enhance the quality of life for the elderly.
The Road Ahead: Documentation and Outreach
While expressing satisfaction with the efforts of the state government team, Sudhansh Pant emphasized that the journey does not end with implementation. He called for:
- Sustained interdepartmental coordination to remove bottlenecks.
- More effective outreach to ensure no eligible beneficiary is left behind.
- A stronger focus on documenting and publicizing success stories to showcase how these interventions are tangibly improving lives across Assam.