Question : Welfare of Older Persons

(a) whether the Government has conducted any survey to ascertain establishment and maintenance of old age homes by the State Governments in each district of the respective States;

(b) if so, the details and outcome thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) the number of old aged persons in the country, as on date, State/UT-wise;

(d) the Centrally Sponsored Schemes/ Programmes being implemented by the Government for welfare of such old aged persons in the country along with the number of beneficiaries of such schemes/ programmes, as on date, State/UT-wise and Scheme/Programme-wise; and

(e) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to ensure welfare and safety of old aged persons in the country?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)

(a)& (b): This Ministry has not conducted any survey in this regard. However, section 19 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 states as under:

(i) The State Government may establish and maintain such number of oldage homes at accessible places, as it may deem necessary, in a phased manner, beginning with at least one in each district to accommodate in such homes a minimum of one hundred fifty senior citizens who are indigent.

(ii) The State Government may, prescribe a scheme for management of oldage homes, including the standards and various types of services to be provided by them which are necessary for medical care and means of entertainment to the inhabitants of such homes.

(c): As per census 2011, the population of old aged persons in the country State/UT-wise is annexed at Annexure-I.
(d): This Ministry implements a Central Sector Scheme of Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC), under which grants-in-aid is given to the implementing agencies for running and maintenance of Senior Citizens Homes/Continuous Care Homes/Physiotherapy Clinics for Senior Citizens/ Mobile Medicare units etc. Details of beneficiaries under the scheme of IPSrC, state-wise is at Annexure-II.
This Ministry also implements a Central Sector Scheme of “Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)”, under which physical aids and assisted living devices such as walking sticks, tripods, quad pods, walkers, artificial denture, hearing aids, spectacle etc, are provided to the senior citizens belonging to BPL category, free of cost. Details of beneficiaries, state-wise, of the scheme of RVY are at Annexure-III.
(e): Details of the other major schemes/programmes for the welfare and safety of older persons are at Annexure-IV.

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