Badal calls up beneficiaries of welfare schemes for feedback

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today personally called up the beneficiaries of welfare schemes for their feedback.
A spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said here that during a series of review meetings, Badal randomly called up the beneficiaries.
For instance, an old woman was surprised when the Chief Minister called her from his official residence and asked, "Hello bibiji, I am Parkash Singh Badal calling. Are you getting old age pension on time?"
Expressing her gratitude, the woman replied in the affirmative and said she was delighted to get her monthly pension on time without any hassles, said the spokesperson.

Badal also called up a construction worker to inquire if he got the Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Beema Yojna card.
The labourer told him that the department concerned had already issued the card to him.

Likewise, the Chief Minister called up several other beneficiaries randomly, said the spokesperson.
During their conversations with Badal, the beneficiaries reposed complete trust in these social security initiatives, he claimed.
The Chief Minister directed the secretaries and heads of departments concerned to frequently call up the beneficiaries to get their grievances redressed promptly, besides keeping a track.
He sought feedback from the officers concerned to ensure that the fruits of the schemes reached the grassroot level and asked them to ensure speedy disposal of grievances, especially those lodged through the 24x7 helplines.

Citing the example of Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Beema Yojna, the Chief Minister said that around 1.28 lakh people dialled the '104' helpline number of which, around 1.26 lakh enquired about the scheme and around 558 lodged complaints.
Badal claimed he frequently interacted with the beneficiaries of these pro-poor welfare schemes during the Sangat Darshan programmes.