Gehlot chairs second meeting of NCSrC

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot on June 18, 2017, chaired the second meeting of National Council of Senior Citizens (NCSrC) organized by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment here.

Vijay Sampla, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, and representatives of many ministries and participants from different parts of the country were present. The National Council of Senior Citizens had its first meeting on  August 30, 2016. The Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment is the Chairman and Minister of State (Social Justice and Empowerment) is the Vice-Chairman of the Council.

Addressing the NCSrC meeting, Gehlot informed that Rastriya Vayoshri Yojana for free of cost distribution of Physical Aids and Assisted- Living Devices to senior citizens belonging to BPL category was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment which aims at providing senior citizens suffering from age related disabilities/infirmities, such assisted living devices, according to a PIB release. The scheme is being implemented through ALIMCO, a PSU under the Ministry. The scheme was launched on April 1, 2017, at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.

Gehlot said that under the corpus of the Senior Citizens Welfare Fund any credit balance in any of the accounts under the small savings like Post Office Saving Schemes, Banks, etc. remaining unclaimed for 7 years from date of declaration would be treated as an inoperative account, and shall be transferred by the institution holding such amounts to the Senior Citizens Welfare Fund, according to the PIB release.
The Minister said that at present, there is no central legislation or executive order prescribing minimum standards for the services facilities to be made available at Old Age Homes across sectors, either run by private, Central or State Government/ UT. As a result, it has been observed that there are widespread disparities in the services offered and facilities available at various Old Age Homes. Therefore, it has been considered desirable that certain standards be evolved and prescribed for the Old Age Home, touching all facets of their functioning from infrastructure to facilities to manpower  so that a senior citizens admitted there could legitimately expect certain level of standardized service.

In pursuance of the National Policy for Older Persons (NPOP), a National Council for Older Persons (NCOP) was constituted in 1999. The NCOP is the highest body to advise the government in the formulation and implementation of policy and programmes for the aged.