July 10, 2015

STATE FAMILY BENEFIT SCHEME

(SFBS)

INTRODUCTION

State Family Benefit Scheme (SFBS) is a social assistance scheme meant for those low income families, whose income does not exceed Rs.75,000 per annum and who lose their breadwinner and are not covered under any other such benefit scheme due to them being excluded from the BPLCategory.

Advertisement

The scheme is outcome of the Budget Speech 2015-16 made by the Hon’ble Finance Minister on the floor of the Legislative Assembly on 22nd March, 2015. The abstract of the Budget Speech is as follows: “There is a sizeable section of the deprived that is living

on the margins of poverty but excluded from the BPL and cannot benefit from the NFBS. They are equally vulnerable and the death of the breadwinner pushes them into poverty and penury. An inclusive approach is needed for such low income groups. I propose to introduce a J&K State Family Benefit Scheme, wherein families whose income doesn’t exceed Rs.75,000 per annum and who lose their breadwinner and are not covered under any other benefits will get a one-time financial assistance of Rs.40,000. A provision of Rs.20 crore Is being made for this scheme. This Is In addition to a provision of Rs.10 crore for the NF BS.”

METHOD OF SURVEY:

In pursuance of the Budget Speech, applications will be invited as per the format appended as Form-I from the family whose income does not exceed Rs.75,000 per annum and who lose their breadwinner and are not covered under any other benefit due to them being excluded from BPL category through respective District Social Welfare Officers across the state so as to facilitate the family to avail financial assistance In a very easy, accessible and transparent way. The formats will be made available free of cost at Tehsil level offices/ PRIs/ municipal committees/ councils, besides on the departmental website.

Norms for availing benefit under the scheme :

The beneficiary family:

i. Has not been covered under any other such scheme of the State or Centre Government,

ii. Annual income of the family doesn’t exceed Rs 75000/-.

iii. The sole bread winner of the family has expired.

iv. Does not have any other bread winner in the family.

BENEFITS

The eligible family will receive one time financial assistance of Rs.40000/- (Forty Thousand) only from the competent authority as provided in the scheme. The beneficiary family, through an adult member of the family, preferably the spouse shall have to apply directly to the concerned District Social Welfare Officer on the prescribed proforma. The credentials, however, shall have to be supported by sufficient documentary proof of eligibility to the satisfaction of sanctioning authority, which shall include a income certificate Indicating annual income not exceeding Rs.75000/as per the prescribed certificate appended as Form-ll from the competent authority and affidavit on non judicial paper of Rs 10/- duly signed by the 1 st Class Magistrate to the effect that the family is not in receipt of any other financial assistance from the Government under any similarly designed scheme.Till such time, the prescribed certificates shall be brought under the ambit of Public Service Guarantee Act, 2009; the prescribed certificates under the scheme shall be issued invariably by the Competent Authority Tehsildar/ Naib Tehsildar/ AC Revenue/ SDM within three days from the date of receipt of application.

FUNDING PATTERN

The State Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) is a state sponsored scheme for which assistance will be made available, to provide benefit to the eligible family according to the norms, guidelines & laid down conditions.The funds will be provided by the Finance Department to be projected by the Social Welfare Department on annual basis. The Social Welfare Department will be the Nodal Department for implementation of said scheme.

IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES

The scheme will be made operational in all the districts across the state through the respective District Level screening and approval committee, herein after referred as committee.The Committee will determine the eligibility of each beneficiary as per the laid down norms.
THE COMMITTEE WILL HAVE FOLLOWING COMPOSITION:

1. District Development Commissioner or his nominee not below the rank of ADC/ADDC

2. Assistant Commissioner (Dev.)

3. District Social Welfare Officer

4. Any other member to co-opted by the Chairman.

The Committee shall meet atleast once in a month or frequently as is expedient to do so. After determining the eligibility, the Committee may sanction the genuine cases and thereafter recommend the financial assistance for the beneficiary family to the designated bank and forward consolidated list to the Government in Social Welfare Department through Member Secretary. The Member Secretary shall forward the case to the Social Welfare Department by or before 10th of succeeding month. As per the below format alongwith sanction order of each beneficlary(s) for reference and reconciliation:
Name/ Parentage/ Residence of the bcnefi clary Name of deceased breadwinner/ date of death Sanction order No./ date Name of the bank Account No: (16 digit) Remarks
1 2 3 4 5 6

(Chairman) (Member)

(Member Secretary) Member
The amount of assistance shall be credited to the saving bank account of the beneficiary.

The meaning of “family* for the purpose of implementation of this scheme shall have the same meaning as defined in the Jammu and Kashmir Classification Conduct and Appeal Rules, 1956. However, the benefit under the scheme shall not be extended to the family, where any of the family members is active/retired government/semi-government/ local body/ board or PSU Employee.

ANNUAL ACTION PLAN

The scheme shall remain a continual process through District Social Welfare Officers and assistance of Sarpanchs/Panchs/Village Committees/ councils, as the case may be, shall be utilized to makethe scheme more responsive and transparent. After giving wide publicity to the scheme through electronic and print media, all the District Social Welfare Officers, shall submit an annual action plan to the Administrative Department through respective Directors of Social Welfare Departments, J&K for its further transmission to State Finance Department for funding. The J&K State Resource Centre, National Mission for Empowerment of Women shall act as Secretariat for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation and maintaining of complete records of the scheme and furnish quarterly report/ utilization certificates to the Government In the Social Welfare Department.

POWER TO REMOVE DIFFICULTY:

If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of the scheme, the Social Welfare Department in consultation with the State Finance Department, may amend through medium of an executive order, as appear to it to be necessary or expedient, for removing the difficulty.