Kerala: Weaker section welfare directionless

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Social Welfare Department, entrusted with implementing various central and state government schemes for the weaker sections of society, saw 20 directors serving the department in the last six years.No one was given time to even study the functioning of the department.Result: The welfare schemes are not implemented effectively.No new schemes could be planned without a full time director or a secretary.Of the 20 directors, seven were given full charge and the remaining 13 given additional charge, who never found time to perform their official duties.In the last five years, there was no permanent secretary for the department.K S Srinivas, who is the industry secretary, was given additional charge as director of the department and he was removed from the post on Thursday.Saradha Muraleedharan, executive director of Kudumbasree, is having additional charge as secretary.Around Rs 677 crore is given to the department annually for various activities, of which 90 per cent is Union Government fund and the rest is given by the state government.The biggest achievement of the department earlier was the implementation of pre-schooling for students below six years through anganwadis which are now in a dilapidated state as the activities of workers are being used for other purposes by the local bodies.Though the department was formed to implement schemes under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), old age welfare, disability, juvenile justice and probation aftercare were also added to the same department.Except in Kerala, all schemes are implemented under various departments in other southern states.