Gujarats Social Justice & Empowerment Department has planned to start a unique social welfare complex,first as a pilot project in Vadodara,wherein orphans,the old,beggars,the visually impaired,juveniles,mentally challenged children etc. will be kept in the same building. Besides the cost effectiveness of the idea,the aim is to check the compatibility of orphan children with old people and others. Sources in the state government said that at present the state government runs several such homes at different places in every city for which it has to employ staff and resources. It also creates monitoring problems,so the government plans to try out the new idea. As per current estimates,Rs 70 lakh to Rs 1 crore will be saved in recurring expenses every year if the idea works. For the new Vadodara social welfare complex,the government has planned to allocate Rs 4 crore in upcoming budget. In the next four years,the cost of the new complex will be recovered from the saving while the government will also be able to use old complex for some other purpose. There is also shortage of caretakers,special teachers etc. If the new idea works,same staff can be used for several purposes, the official said,adding it will also strengthen social bonding among those who feel left out. We hope this unique experiment will provide social support to children as well as the old,who do not have anybody as their own. Likewise,beggars and special children also can have some social-emotional support from others in the complex. If the pilot project in Vadodara succeeds,the idea will be replicated across the state, the source said.
