Speech by Hon'ble President of India, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil,at the Annual Day Celebration of 'mission Convergence'

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am happy to be present here on the first anniversary of Mission Convergence, an innovative programme launched by the Government of Delhi last year. I would like to compliment all those involved in this Mission, which aims to re-engineer the delivery process of services and benefits to the people, so that these are accessible with the least inconvenience. This is a laudable objective. I would like to congratulate all those who received awards today for their contribution to Mission Convergence.

India has the necessary pre-requisites for becoming one of the leading nations in the world. Its people when well nourished and well educated will provide the hands and brains for the progress of the nation through their work and ideas. Empowering its people, therefore, lies at the very core of governance. This empowerment, however, has to be inclusive and should take in its embrace all sections of society particularly the weaker and the vulnerable.

There are Central and State Government schemes for education, health, employment as well as for the poorer and disadvantaged sections of society, for the girl child, women, the elderly and the differently abled. Hence, I believe that many good schemes exist to provide amenities and extend support to the people for their empowerment. The factors slowing down the success rate of these schemes are delays in implementation on account of tardiness, some shortcomings of the delivery mechanisms and also the lack of awareness among the people about programmes and schemes. A number of steps have been initiated to address the situation. For example, the Central Government has set up a National level Delivery Monitoring Unit in the Prime Minister's Office for flagship programmes. Also, the proposed national Unique Identification Number should be useful in improving accessibility of beneficiaries to welfare schemes. The Delhi Government has initiated Mission Convergence for better and timely implementation. I convey my good wishes to its efficient Chief Minister, Shrimati Sheila Dikshit and her team for its success.

At the outset, I would like to emphasize that better delivery and performance requires a change of mindset. Working for the welfare of the people is a public service. It is this work that can change the lives of people, when done with dedication, commitment and a sense of purpose. Welfare schemes, in essence, create a right for individuals belonging to target groups. Delivering their right to them is our duty and lack to deliver is our failure. It is important that Government officials involved in administering programmes and NGOs involved in working in the welfare sector are well trained. Interventions such as skill building, non-formal education and legal awareness centres require qualified persons. Voluntary services of community members should be sought for participating in training centres and awareness campaigns. All efforts and all work undertaken in respect of welfare schemes should place the beneficiary at the centre. Systems setup for the purpose must be simple and easy.

I am pleased that Mission Convergence is focusing on improving deliverability under the schemes by reorganizing Government processes. It is involving civil societies and community groups through Samajik Suvidha Sangam, a society formed for this purpose. Government, elected representatives, the local administration authorities and community members are all partners in development work. They should work together constructively towards the common mission of prosperity and growth.

A lacuna faced is that a portion of the population, though entitled, remains outside the purview of welfare schemes. This is either on account of people being unaware of the scheme or not having adequate documentation or even unable to approach authorities when they move for short periods of time from one place to another. This is particularly evident in the case of the migratory population in urban areas that comes for the construction of building and other infrastructure projects. How can they and their children obtain the benefits especially of education and health facilities? A challenge is how to bringing such cases into the fold. I am told that Mission Convergence has developed broad vulnerability indicators for identification of families and individuals as poor, for the purpose of their inclusion in the list of beneficiaries under the various welfare schemes. A survey is underway for this purpose. This is a welcome step in our efforts towards inclusiveness.

A big dilemma facing the beneficiaries, particularly those belonging to the vulnerable sections is as to which government department to approach, at what level and where. Many departments and multiple ministries are involved, which means that in this maze, the citizen is often lost. Hence, it is important that procedures be streamlined and all benefits, as far as possible be made available at one point. In other words, the onus is on the Government to coordinate its functioning within; and bring relief and welfare benefits to one window; and making it the delivery point for benefits under all schemes. From the individual's point of view, the Suvidha Card proposed by the Delhi Government is important as in it, all schemes whose benefits the card holder is entitled to, can be enumerated. Moreover, the Suvidha Kendras which will function as the single window facilitation centres for availing social assistance programmes would be of great help to the people. This will go a long way in addressing people's concerns about accessibility to their entitled welfare benefits.

It will also promote implementation in a transparent manner that will in turn result in greater accountability and integrity in functioning. This is important for eliminating corruption and for ensuring that full benefits reach the people. Encouraging people to open a dedicated bank account for receiving monetary component of welfare schemes would be useful for avoiding pilferages and eliminating bogus recipients. This manner of transmission would also make subsequent audits of schemes more systematic.

I would like to mention target setting and monitoring as two other important aspects for effective governance. It is only when targets are set that the administration and others involved can be galvanized to move with speed and vigour. It also makes subsequent monitoring of progress more practical and better measurable.

In conclusion, I recall the motivating message contained in Gandhiji's words that, we must work "to wipe every tear from every eye". Gandhiji's life itself is an example of serving mankind selflessly and should be an inspiration for all those who have an opportunity and the responsibility to work for the welfare of the people. I congratulate all the awardees and would encourage them to continue their good work. I wish Mission Convergence of the Delhi Government all success. I would once again like to congratulate the Chief Minister, Smt. Sheila Dikshit for this scheme designed for the upliftment of the vulnerable sections of society with a view to empower them.

Thank you.  
JAI HIND