In a significant administrative outreach initiative to strengthen welfare delivery in the hill districts, Director of Social Welfare Sheikh Abdul Hakim visited Churachandpur along with departmental staff under the leadership of Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.
During the visit, the Social Welfare Director met with several MLAs and sought their cooperation and coordination to ensure that welfare schemes and government projects effectively reach the grassroots. The outreach comes in the wake of the violence that broke out in May 2023, which had made administrative access to the hill areas difficult. In a notable move, the director personally visited the district to reconnect with the people and understand ground realities.
He held meetings with MLA Letzamang Haokip of Henglep Assembly Constituency, MLA Chinlunthang Manlun of Singhat (ST), MLA LM Khaute of Churachandpur AC, MLA Paolienlal Haokip of Saikot AC, and late Vungzagi Valte’s son Joseph Valte and his family. The director also expressed his condolences on the passing of former minister and MLA, the late Vungzagin Valte.
As part of his visit, Sheikh Abdul Hakim interacted with Anganwadi workers, helpers, supervisors, and departmental staff, patiently listening to their grievances, issues, and challenges. He assured them that their concerns would be addressed at the earliest. The Churachandpur Anganwadi Workers’ Association expressed gratitude for his visit and for taking the time to hear their voices directly from the ground.
The Churachandpur Anganwadi Workers’ Association expressed appreciation for his visit and direct engagement. One member shared, “We want to meet the new chief minister. We don’t know how to reach out to him; if we could, we would have already done so. We are happy that the director has come to meet us personally. Even though he is a director, he listened to our grievances like a son.”
Speaking to the media, the director emphasized the government’s commitment, stating, “Under the visionary leadership of the Hon’ble Chief Minister, the Social Welfare Department is actively engaging with MLAs to strengthen welfare delivery across the state.” He added, “We are fully committed to addressing public grievances efficiently, guided by the dynamic leadership of the honorable Chief Minister.”
Highlighting immediate relief measures, he said, “In major relief for beneficiaries, six months of pending old age pension funds will be released within April.” Stressing coordination and transparency, he noted, “With strong coordination between MLAs and departmental offices, we are ensuring that every scheme reaches the grassroots level,” and further added, “We have successfully compiled beneficiary data across constituencies to ensure transparent and effective implementation.”
Reaffirming the department’s mission, he stated, “Driven by the vision of the Honorable Chief Minister, we are working to ensure that every welfare scheme reaches the last-mile beneficiary without delay,” adding, “Our focus is to bring real change on the ground so that no eligible citizen is left behind.”
During the visit, the director also inspected the One Stop Centre and the District Social Welfare Department office in Churachandpur as part of his review of ongoing services and implementation on the ground.
