Schemes for Welfare of Senior Citizens.

   The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is not implementing any Centrally Sponsored Scheme for welfare of senior citizens. However, this Ministry is implementing a Central Sector Scheme of Integrated Programme for Older Persons through Non-Government Organizations, Panchayati Raj/Local Bodies, etc. to cater to the basic needs of destitute senior citizens viz. shelter, food, recreation, health care etc. As per the guidelines of the Ministry, State/UT Governments are required to carry out inspection of the projects being funded by the Ministry every year and send inspection report along with Grant-in-aid proposal of organization for release of grant. Further, grants to the NGOs are released on the basis of, inter alia, satisfactory inspection, audited accounts and utilization certificate for the grant released for the previous year.

   The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely, “National Programme for Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE)” to improve health services for the elderly. The programme has been taken up in 100 selected districts of 21 States and 8 Regional Geriatric Institutes across the country on cost sharing basis with the participating States at the ratio of 80:20 (excluding the expenditure on 8 regional Medical Institutes). Monitoring and Evaluation of the Programme is being done, in-house, on an ongoing basis.

   This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri P. Balram Naik in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha tabled today.

PIB