Innovative Initiative to Take Government Welfare Schemes to the People – Awareness Drive Through “Phula Changari” Programme

Sambalpur:-In an innovative effort to ensure that government welfare schemes reach the grassroots level, Adarsha Voluntary Organisation, in collaboration with the District Senior Citizens’ Association, has identified 126 volunteers from seven blocks of Sambalpur district. These volunteers will act as change agents to disseminate information about various government schemes among the public.

                                     

       A training programme on government welfare schemes was held on Saturday at the Zilla Parishad Conference Hall in Sambalpur. The event was inaugurated through the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by senior citizen representative Prafulla Kumar Hota, noted social worker Gobinda Agrawal, Ratna Bhusan Pruseth, Pradeep Kumar Panda, Rajendra Satnami, and representatives of ABCD Charitable Trust and Juhar Parivar.

       Chief Development Officer-cum-Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad, Prasanna Kumar Patra, inaugurated the training session and highlighted the importance of public awareness regarding various government welfare programmes.At the outset, Adarsha Secretary Pradeep Kumar Behera explained the role and responsibilities of the volunteers as agents of social change and briefed participants about the organisation’s various activities.

       Officials from several government departments participated in the training and provided detailed information on developmental and welfare schemes. Among them were Subhashini Patel, Planning Officer from the District Welfare Office; Soura Chandra Pani, District Social Security Officer; Deba Kishore Nayak, Lead District Manager (LDM); Sitikanta Behera of Utkarsha Nature Village; Ashok Panigrahi of SAARC; Bipin Bihari Panda of Parichaya; Dr. Rajaram Sadangi, member of the District Child Welfare Committee; and Shrimanta Hota from Odisha Livelihood Mission and ORMAS.

         The speakers elaborated on various state and central government welfare schemes and urged volunteers to identify genuine beneficiaries and ensure that benefits reach those in need, thereby bringing positive change to people’s lives.The programme was jointly coordinated by senior journalists Prafulla Kumar Das and Tapas Kumar Das.In the concluding session, senior citizen representative Rajendra Kumar Panda summarized the key points discussed during the training and administered a pledge to the participants, encouraging them to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach deserving beneficiaries. He concluded the programme with a vote of thanks.