Imphal, April 30: Inefficiency and lack of transparency by bureacrats of State's Social Welfare Department has been blamed for lethargy in implementation of various welfare schemes for women and children even as other States are reaping benefits under the 'Ujjawala' scheme of Union Ministry of Women and child Development.

Interacting with newspersons at Babupara today, secretary of Women's Income Centre, Thoubal O indira insisted that lack of sincerity on the part of certain officials of the State's Social Welfare Department had been the chief factor for women and children of Manipur deprived of benefits under the Central Government's noble programme.

Among others Indira pointed to concept of partisan policy in submitting project proposals on the part of responsible officials and favouritism in choosing implementing agencies (NGOs) as th root cause for the State unable to gain from such schemes.

Substantiating her contention, the secretary alleged that out of 29 NGOs initially selected based on their on-field activities the state Department had forwarded seven NGOs to the Union Ministry out of which two did not even figure in the original list of recommendation by the State Government.

Accusing Deputy Director of social Welfare Department K Sanajaoba of abusing official position, Indira maintained that as one of the lone State representatives Sanajaoba had on April 24 forwarded NGOs of his choice to the Ministry.

Opining that such misdemeanour of the Deputy Director is very disgusting that would undoubtedly slacken development of women and children in the State, the NGO functionary desired that State authorities do the needful to check such negative trend in the future.

she highlighted that compared to other States having completed the NGO selection procedure in February itself, in Manipur enlisting NGOs took about 2/3 selection exercises but the finalising the same is far from being over till date.

Further revealing that the seven NGOs forwarded on priority basis had been deleted on insistence of Sanajaoba himself, Indira decried that such flip-flop policy would only lead to denying benefits advocated through the 'Ujjawala' scheme apart from demoralising those NGOs who are committed to socio-economic development of women folk.

Objectives of the 'Ujjawala' project is informed to be floated for rehabilitation of commercial sex workers as well as to provide timely guidance to the fairer sex from being exposed to the flesh trade.

The project has five main components comprising of preventive measures to check girls/women from indulging in sex trade, rescue those already trapped in the immoral trade, rehabilitation, guiding sex workers to give up their habit and rejoin the mainstream, and bringing back girls/women of Manipur involved in the trade in other States to Manipur.

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