Highlighting the chinks in the functioning of the Forward Communities Welfare Corporation(Samunnathi), the Nair Service Society (NSS) has urged the State government to constitute an exclusive department for ensuring the welfare of the forward communities in the State.
In a statement here on Saturday, NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair said such a department would be essential in clearing the impasse over the implementation of various welfare projects meant for the community. “The demand for a separate department for ensuring the welfare of forward communities has been long pending,” he said.
The Samunnathi, with just a managing director and four others deputed from the Secretariat as its employees, has been unable to complete the welfare projects for the forward communities in a time-bound manner. Adding to its woes is the absence of a drawing and disbursing officer, which has caused inordinate delay in the availability of funds for various projects.
Similarly, people from the northern districts are forced to come down directly to the Samunnathi office in Thiruvananthapuram for submission of various applications and grievance redressal.
The establishment of a directorate system having offices at the district or regional level could help resolve these issues to a great extent, he said.
“The implementation of the recommendations of the S.R. Sinhu Commission, various Centrally-sponsored projects, subjects relating to the 10% reservation for upper castes, activities of the Samunnathi Corporation and State commission for economically weaker sections in the forward communities could all be organised, coordinated and implemented with the setting up of the new department by amending the Rules of Business of the State Government,” Mr. Nair said.
