Mother's name to be included in all certificates in Delhi

New Delhi, May 23 (UNI) In a decision having far reaching implications, the Delhi Cabinet today gave its nod for inclusion of the mother's name in all documents and certificates to be henceforth issued by the state government.

The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. After the meeting, she said the decisions relating to inclusion of mother's name in all certificates, application forms and documents would, in fact, be a befitting step towards empowerment of women.

Henceforth, voters I-cards, driving licenses, ration cards, school certificates, birth certificates, death certificates and disability certificates cutting across all sectors and departments would also include mother's name, she said.

Particulars of both, father and mother, in the documents would help in establishing the identity of the person concerned in a more specific and pointed manner, she added.

Ms Dikshit further said her government was providing top priority to all women's empowerment schemes including 'Stree Shakti' programme.

By expanding 'Stree Shakti' programme under mission mode, it would revolutionise the entire concept of women empowerment and hence become instrumental in reaching the un-reached women and the girl child.

The mission would target eight lakh women in a 16 lakh population in four selected areas of Delhi. In addition to this, girl children in the age group of six to 16 years for education and 12-18 years adolescent girls for life skills and zero to six years children under Integrated Child Develoment Scheme for nutritional, health and pre-education services would be targetted.

The goals of the mission mode included reduction in neo-natal and infant mortality rates, reduction in maternal mortality rate, reduction in practice of female foeticide, access to formal and non-formal education, completion of secondary and high school of all girls enrolled, better work conditions for women in the unorganised sector and livelihood opportunities and minimum wages. Every woman would also be issued a Stree Shakti Card.

The mission would also ensure time-bound result, professionally managed and closely monitored.

An organisational structure of the mission mode had also been approved which include mission steering committee under the chairmanship of the chief minister, intersectoral empowered programme committee under the chairmanship of chief secretary, mission directorate and zonal programme management unit.

The projects relating to Stree Shakti, universalisation of ICDS, network of self-help groups, NSUP, SJ Swa-Rojgar Yojna, Rajiv Gandhi Creche Programme, Swawlamban, Swadhar, Swayamsiddha would be immediately implemented under the mission.

Ms Dikshit said her government while taking cue from the tremendous success of different government schemes being implemented with people's participation under the 'bhagidari' yojna had now decided to encourage partnership with NGOs in management of institutions run by the social welfare department.

The government had also noticed appreciable achievements of partnership projects with NGOs in various institutions in the past.

The department of social welfare was running 45 institutions relating to children, women, beggars, physically challenged and aged people. People at such homes would be much benefited on account of such partnership, she added.

The department would also be benefited on account of cost saving, better and flexible management, convergence of resources and prompt services on time, Ms Dikshit said.

The cabinet also approved putting women empowerment programmes under its mission mode fast track mechanism, policy for partnership with NGOs in Management of department of social welfare's institutions and a comprehensive business model for the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences.

The cabinet approved a business model for the ILBS in Vasant Kunj in South Delhi, which was being set up with an effort to develop a world class state-of-the-art facility that would comprehensively provide a modern set up for dedicated research and advance training as well as diagnosis/treatment.

A comprehensive business model had been developed on the basis of a detailed project report prepared in October 2004. The model would enable the institute to be self sufficient within nine years. The facilities to be provided by the ILBS would be at par with the best available in the country.

The capital cost and the cost of procuring medical equipment would be borne by Delhi governemnt. The running cost would be given as grant-in-aid annually for first few years.

The ILBS would not charge anything for diagnosis/medical/OT services from the patients in wards and would charge only for medicines and consumables. The consultation charges for private patients would be Rs 400, for semi-private patients would be Rs 200 and for poor patients it would be only Rs 10.

The business model had been prepared to provide substantial help to poor patients. The salary structures of the ILBS would be comparable with those of AIIMS. This was the first true model of this kind which had been adopted in the government in the health care sector.

UNI IP AK ND1950