Rajsamand Collector Takes Salary Pledge to Speed Up Enrollment of Poor in Schemes

In a rare gesture aimed at accelerating welfare delivery, Rajsamand District Collector Arun Kumar Hasija has vowed not to draw his January salary until all eligible poor residents in the district are enrolled and verified under key government welfare schemes. The move is intended to push officials to complete long-pending verifications that determine whether beneficiaries continue receiving financial support.

 Mr Hasija said he deliberately chose motivation over coercion. He explained that instead of pressuring officers with strict orders, he decided to lead by example to highlight the real impact of delayed payments on vulnerable families. According to him, even a short delay in income can disrupt household finances, while for the poor, delayed benefits can threaten basic survival.

Rajsamand district has around 30,000 people classified under the poor category, many of whom depend on benefits from three major schemes—free foodgrain under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the Palanhar Yojana for children without parental support, and social security pensions for widows, single women and the elderly. Mr Hasija noted that beneficiaries often receive as little as ₹1,500 per month, making delays of several months deeply unjust.

Also Read: Spain Mourns 21 Dead After Rare High-Speed Train Crash Near Adamuz

The impact of the collector’s pledge was visible within 48 hours. Of the 190,440 social security pension beneficiaries in the district, about 88 per cent have already completed verification, leaving 22,752 cases pending. The administration now expects similar progress in NFSA ration beneficiaries and Palanhar Yojana enrolments, with officials assuring that the remaining work will be completed by January 31.

This is not the first time Mr Hasija has adopted unconventional methods to improve governance. Earlier, he introduced evening village meetings and field-level registrations to boost farmer enrolment under the central government’s Agri Stack initiative. Despite resistance from revenue officials over extended working hours, the district managed to register more than 15,000 farmers in just 15 days by taking services directly to villages.

Rajasthan continues to face a significant backlog in welfare scheme verifications, with over 20 lakh eligible residents statewide missing out on benefits due to incomplete annual checks. Officials say initiatives like Rajsamand’s salary-linked pledge underline the urgency of simplifying procedures and ensuring that government support reaches intended beneficiaries without bureaucratic delays.

Also Read: Gaza 'Board Of Peace': Trump's Initiative For Rebuilding and Expanding Beyond Middle East Conflicts