'Fiscal assistance pleas of those who fail to reply for 15 days to be disposed of'

New Delhi: The Delhi government's WCD department has now issued an order for all financial assistance schemes. As per the order, the applicant who applied for the scheme, but not responding to queries raised by officials, despite repeated reminders, then his or her application will be disposed of with a speaking order giving grounds for rejection.

The order read, "In objection cases as soon as a query is raised. automated SMS is sent to the applicant's registered mobile number. (This should be in Hindi). After eight days of raising such query and in case of no response from the applicant, a phone call is to be made to the applicant from the district office to submit and upload the required documents within five days."

The order further reads, "After five days from the call, in case of no response, a letter in Hindi is to be sent to the applicant clearly stating the nature of query documents to be submitted and several days within which the response is to be submitted in the district office or through e-District Portal."

And in case no response was received even after 15 days of sending the letter, the application can be disposed of with a speaking order giving grounds for rejection.

The order was issued by Rashmi Singh, Director WCD department.

"Record of all communications made to the applicant is to be maintained, including date and time of the phone call and the number to which such a call was made, as also whether the call was answered or not. If answered, name of the person spoken to and relationship with the applicant is also to be recorded," she wrote in the order.

As per the WCD department, in cases where the applicant visits the district office for resolution of the query, an acknowledgement receipt will be given to the applicant (specifying the query and the documents received).

"One copy of the receipt to be retained in District Office and one to be given to the applicant as evidence that he or she had submitted the said documents," the official said.

Meanwhile, all-district officers were directed to submit weekly reports every Friday by 3:00 pm to the HOD or Nodal Officer (FAS) giving the status of applications processed during the week and position regarding all pending applications to date with reasons for pendency if any.

Significantly, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said during the brutal second Covid wave that his government would now be finding ways to reach applicants for fiscal compensation and would help them get the requisite documents arranged.

The CM had at the time said his government would net let a lack of documents be a reason for denial of compensation and that officers from the government would help them get these documents.

These remarks from the chief minister came as he was announcing the financial compensation for children orphaned by the virus and families who lost a bread-earner to the virus.