Day care centres for seniors in Haryana

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by Haryananewswire
CHANDIGARH, Jan 20
Haryana Social Justice and Empowerment Department has implemented a scheme to set up Day Care Centres at all district headquarters in the State in a phased manner to facilitate the senior citizens.
Haryana Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Kartar Devi said that the buildings for Day Care Centres were under construction at Panchkula, Sonepat, Hisar, Bhiwani, Jhajjar and Rohtak. A sum of Rs. 4.80 lakh would be provided to each such Day Care Centre by the Department as recurring expenditure.
She said that an Old Age Home has been constructed at Ambala and such homes were under construction at Yamunanagar, Rohtak and Hisar. Each Old Age Home costing Rs 30 lakh was being constructed with the financial assistance of Central Government. The State Government was running a home for aged and infirm at Rewari where inmates were being provided ration money at a rate of Rs 600 per month and Rs 50 per month pocket money. Six Old Age Homes and 12 Day Care Centres were being run through Non-Government Organisations.
She said that an Advisory or Co-ordination Committee has been constituted under National Policy for Older Persons under her chairpersonship. A Grievances Redressal Cell has also been constituted in each district of the State under the chairmanship of Additional Deputy Commissioner. The Director, Social Justice and Empowerment Department has been nominated as Nodal Officer under the scheme, she added.
Mrs Kartar Devi said that under a scheme known as Senior Citizens Voluntary Service Association or Network, management groups were being set up under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners in various districts. The services of Management Groups would be on voluntary basis under which willing senior citizens would, based on their experience, render their services in day-to-day management activities.
She said that it has also been decided to issue identity cards to all senior citizens free of cost to facilitate them in availing benefits of various schemes of the State and Central Governments.
Mrs Kartar Devi said that there were over 11.53 lakh beneficiaries of old age allowance scheme and each of them was getting monthly allowance of Rs 300. Similarly, there were over 4.35 lakh beneficiaries of widow pension each getting Rs 350 per month. The number of beneficiaries under handicapped pension was more than 1.22 lakh and each of them was being paid Rs 300 per month.The allowances under old age, widow and handicapped pensions schemes and financial assistance to destitute children were being paid through Panchayti Raj Institutions.
She said that the Department was accepting application forms every month for widow and handicapped pension schemes and after investigation, the eligible beneficiaries got their respective pensions from the same month.
The Minister said that the Department has so far incurred Rs 540.40 crore, out of its annual budget of Rs 706.46 crore for the year 2008-09, for the implementation of various schemes in the State. These schemes were being implemented for the welfare of orphan or destitute children, delinquent and neglected juveniles, widows,destitute women and their dependent children, aged persons, handicapped, mentally retarted, deaf and dumb persons.