Lok Sabha Question No. 79 (STARRED), answered on 2017-02-07
Subject: Assistive Devices for BPL Senior Citizens
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO. *79 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2017

## ASSISTIVE DEVICES FOR BPL SENIOR CITIZENS

*79. DR J JAYAVARDHAN: SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to launch a scheme to provide senior citizens below the poverty line with walking sticks, spectacles, hearing aids and other assistive devices; living such
- (b) if so, the details thereof with the number of districts proposed to be covered and the estimated number of beneficiaries under the scheme, State-wise; along
- whether the Ministry has written to all Chief Ministers to identify beneficiaries in their respective States/districts;
- (d) if the details thereof and the response of the State Governments thereto; and SO,
- (e) whether any Committee has been set up to identify the beneficiaries and if SO, the details thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI THAAWARCHAND GEHLOT)

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## Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No *79 to be answered on 07.02.2017

(a) & (b) : Yes; Madam: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment proposes to launch a 'Scheme for  providing Physical Aids   and Assisted  Living Devices to  Senior Citizens belonging to BPL category' in all districts. Under the  Scheme, Assisted Living Devices namely, hearing aids, artificial dentures, walking sticks, elbow crutches, walkers, tripods, quadpods, spectacles and wheelchairs of high quality and conforming to the standards laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards, wherever feasible shall be provided to the eligible Senior Citizens belonging to BPL category,   suffering from age-related disabilities/ infirmities. Initially, the Scheme will be launched in two districts of all the States as well as in NCT Delhi; Andaman & Nicobar Island and  Puducherry and in one  district each of remaining UTs covering approximately 1000 beneficiaries in each district of each StatelUT. The estimated total  expenditure of the Scheme, upto the Financial Year 2019-20, is Rs: 478.44 Crores.

(c) to (e): Madam. Chief Ministers/ Lieutenant Governors of all the Statesl UTs; have been addressed in this regard,  Responses from the Chief Ministers/ Lieutenant Governors of & Nicobar Islands, Karnataka, Rajasthan; Madhya Pradesh; been received in the Ministry, till date.

A Committee a8 under has been proposed to be constituted by the respective Statel UT for selection of beneficiaries, implementation and monitoring of the Scheme: -

- (ii) Representative of the State Agency as nominated by the State Government for the purpose.
- Deputy Commissioner Collector of the District or in the case of a Municipal Corporation, the Commissioner of the Corporation.
- (iii) Chief Medical Officer (CMO)of the District:
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Zilla Parishad:
- (iv) District Social Welfare or Deputy Director (Social  Welfare) Joint Director or equivalent at the District level handling the matters relating to Senior Citizens