An IAS officer who understands poor goan and homeless people suffering from mental disabilities and who has the heart to hear their cries and do what is most required.

STREET PROVIDENCE GOA, Thanks Shri Subhash Chandra ( IAS ) Secretary Social Welfare dept, Government of Goa who has  brought cheer and light to our men's shelter homes by approving schemes and grants for the homeless goans in Goa inspite of these goans not having valid identification for the grants to be released to our Homes.

Most of the homeless who we take in are ethnic Goans both ladies & gents who are suffering from mental disabilities and for reasons best known to them are actually having no identity in their possession.

But all of them are patients of IPHB with some of them having registration nos as 16000 to 25000 which means they are patients of IPHB last 25 to 30 years.

Usually Goa Police finds such psychiatric patients on the streets and admitt them in our homes.

Some are recommended by the Local MLA , Local Sarpanch as they are a disturbance in the society.

To avail of any Government grant under Social Welfare ie 

》for the shelter homes,  

the documents required are Adhar card and disability certificate. 

Last 6 months our application for running camps in our shelter homes to make the adhar cards for our inmates is pending at The Planning & Statistics Dept, Porvorim.

Only after the Adhar card Is generated then we can apply for the Disability certificate which is another 2 to 3 years.

We have been providing FREE REHABILITATION to so many poor ethnic goans in our men's homes last 6 years without much grants to these men.

Why ?  Because no identity no grants.

We have been having major issues at IPHB in acquiring disability certificates to avail of grants.

But 8 months back, Mr Ajit Panchwadkar took over as The Director of Social Welfare dept and alot of changes has happened especially towards the poor goans suffering from disabilities and on the streets.

We have a home at Assnora for men funded under Jeevan Jyot covering 10 men with disabilites @ Rs 2500 per month and we had managed to acquire their documents after many many years of running around .

We put in another file for our Cavelossim men's home under the same state Scheme called ” Jeevan Jyot “, which is for 10 inmates only @ Rs 2500 per inmate per month.

Nothing big and fancy but atleast something better than nothing.

We submitted the file of 10 men with disabilites without any identification but added valid IPHB prescription for over two years of each individual.

Director was a bit apprehensive whether it will clear the committee for approval.

I explained to Ajit Sir, told him, let me know who and which point this file is rejected.

Rest I will take care and manage , but please accept the file, which the department did.

File accepted, cleared the rounds and approved.

To our blessings , The Secretary has signed the order and that paves the way for running such shelter homes inspite of the inmates not having valid identification.

In another move towards poor Goans with disabilities staying in our shelter homes having no valid identification but only valid IPHB prescriptions ” The Hon Chief Minister of Goa ” has clearly instructed The Social Welfare Minister of Goa , to provide DDSSY benefits to all our GOAN inmates only with A valid IPHB prescription.

All these facts can be verified from all the above names I have mentioned in this post.

” THE LAST POOR GOAN suffering from disabilities MATTERS TO the  GOVERNMENT “.

We are happy that after a very long time a Dynamic , hardworking & down to earth Director, Shri Ajit Panchwadkar is heading the Social Welfare dept and our poor goans suffering from disabilities are getting some benefit from this government.

The hardworking Trio @ Social Welfare of :

are indeed a booster dose to all the problems that we were facing once a upon a time in our men's shelter homes.

Today our NGO has grants from Social Welfare Dept for :

all approved by The Social Welfare Secretary 

Mr Subhash Chandra who I only met once may be 2 years back in his office and that meeting to I was very upset & aggressive as nothing was ever moving in Social Welfare towards our NGO.

Usually IAS  officers don't entertain requests for grants from NGOs that easily and they try to waste time and create unnecessary hurdles and paperwork so that NGOs get frustrated and go away .

Shri Subash Chandra ( IAS ) , Secretary, Social Welfare dept , Government of Goa, has shattered that way of working and today we feel blessed that some one in the Secretariat is concerned about Our poor goans on the streets suffering from mental disabilities. 

I hope Hon Minister of Social Welfare, Shri Subash Phal Dessai and Director Shri Ajit Panchwadkar keep approving our continous new proposals towards the Welfare of our poor goans on the streets suffering from mental disabilities. 

Our inmates capacity is increasing from 240 to 500 and that means more resources and more grants need to be given to us.

WE WORK HARD

WE FIGHT LOUD 

WE EXPECT TO BE GIVEN OUR DUES

Street Providence is continuously working towards ending Hunger and Homelessness in Goa and only with The Government support we can carry forward.

I hope the way The Social Welfare dept works, right from the Minister to the Secretary to the Director will be emulated by other Government departments so that ” THE LAST POOR GOAN suffering from disabilities MATTERS TO the  GOVERNMENT “

Otherwise I will hit the streets and highlight the injustice and services denied to The poor goans suffering from mental disabilities and the Homeless.

All communications strictly through whatsapp messages only on 8380097564

Www.streetprovidencegoa.com 

God bless you all