Pooja Kashyap, TNN, Dec 4, 2010,
PATNA: As the phone rings, the PA of the lady sitting in her chamber in the main secretariat swings into action. The caller's name, phone number and the complaint are promptly noted down. Things seem to have changed for the better in the social welfare department office, with Parveen Amanullah at the helm of affairs as the minister.
Putting the house in order seems to be the priority of the first-time MLA of the JD(U) and minister from Sahebpur Kamal assembly segment in Begusarai district.
"It's a challenging opportunity. I do consider myself lucky as the same work or action for which I earlier had to request people in offices, now can be initiated by me," said the candidly ecstatic minister.
Wife of a senior bureaucrat Afzal Amanullah, who is the cabinet secretary, Parveen said, "I have become part of the functioning of the government now and through constructive and progressive work can make a sea change."
She is finding it hard to believe as things have moved pretty fast. Stating the transition from the role of a social activist to minister was really smooth, this Miranda House graduate cannot stop thanking her supportive family.
Having done her schooling from the city's St.Joseph's Convent High School and Delhi's Frank Anthony Public School, she looks fully confident of fulfilling her responsibilities.
This daughter of former diplomat and ex-MP Syed Shahabuddin feels the projects and plans first need to be streamlined before new things can be taken up. Schemes have no meaning unitl they reach the people, she reasons.
The first thing that she did after assuming office was to see the presentations of different wings of the department, including social security, to get acquainted with various schemes.
She says anganwadi programme needs to be made more inclusive. As far as Women Development Corporation (WDC) is concerned, the formation of women's federations at the block level needs to be hastened. So far, federations have been formed only in 61 blocks. Basic amenities for the mentally challenged are yet to take off. Four such homes for the mentally challenged are in the pipeline. Land has already been acquired for two of them, she said.
Out of the total 18 lakh physically challenged people, only 1.8 lakh have been issued certificates to this effect. The process of giving financial aid to the physically challenged will be expedited, the minister says. "We are still not aware about the actual beneficiaries of many of the schemes meant for physically challenged people," she said, adding some of the programmes that have not been very effective include 'Take Home Food Rations' programme.
This former RTI activist feels her work in the field has been a learning experience that will now come handy. "I have already instructed my office to promptly give replies to RTI applicants," she said, adding one can expect complete transparency from her department.
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