Lok Sabha Question No. 1826 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-06
Subject: Aids and Assistive Living Devices for Senior Citizens
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: B. SREERAMULU

## GOVERNMENT OF TNDIA MINISTRY (F SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

(NSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1826 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.03.2018:

## AIDS AND ASSISTIVE LIVING DEVICES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

## Will tbe Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state;

- (@) whether the Government has launched & gchemte to provide senior citizens living below the poverty Jine with walking sticks, spectacles, hearing aids and other such agsistive devices;
- (b) ifs0, the details thereof with the nurber of beneficiarics under the schere; State-wisc; along
- the details thereof and the reasons therefor; 80,
- (d) the corrective steps takcn/ proposed to be taken by thc Goverument in thig regard; and .
- (e) whether the Government has alreedy introduced & National Policy for Senior Citizens and if 80, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MNISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUISTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI VIJAY SAMPLA)

- 'Reshtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)' with an objective to provide genicr citizens; belonging t0 BPL category and suffering from age related disabilities/ infirmitics; with such physical aidg and devices  which can restore near nomalcy in their bodily fuuctiong. Under the Scheme,  assisted fripods/ quadpods, hearing aids, wheelchairs, artificial dentures, spectacleg are provided free of cosi to the beneficiary senior citizeng  The Scheme is implemented by the Antificial Limbs   Manufacturing Corporation   (ALIMCO)" Public Sector   Undertaking Uder National launch of Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana was held at Nellore (A.P;) on 1s April, 2017. A distribution   camps. As o 21 Distribution have been organized at disttict level distributing 58,325 aids and assistive devices to 31,304 Senior Citizens The State-wise number ofbeneficiaries is encloged at Annexure-I livig living being date, Camps
- (c): As per the information provided by Ministry" of Home Affairs, the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB} -
- 1 The specific infoimation is not mainteined by the Bieau
3. StatefUT-wise and Crime head-wise cases registered under ctime against senior citizen 2014-2016 is encloged as Annexure-II, during
2. Howerer; & total of 18,714,20,532 and 21,410 cases teported under total crimc against senior citizen during 2014,2015 and 2016 respectively showing an increaging trend with an increase of 9.7% in 2015 over 2014 and 4.3% in 2016 over 2015.
4. State/UT-wise cases charge-sheeted, ceses convicted, persons arrested, persons chargesheeted and persons convicted inder crime against senior citizen during 2014-2016 is

(d): As per the information provided by of Home Affairs, are State Subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India The responsibility to maintain law and proteclion of life and property of the citizens rest primnarily with the respective State Governments: The State Governments are competent to deal with sch offences under the extant provisions of laws Ministry order;

Ministry of Home Affairg has issued two detailed advisorieg dated 27.03.2008 and 30.8.2013 initiatives guch &s identification of senior citizens, sensitization of police personnel regarding safety, security of older persons, regular visit of the beat staff; setting up of toll itee senior citizen helpline; setting up of senior citizen security cell; verification of domestic belps, drivers etc\_

The Covernment has enacted the Maintenance and  Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (MWPSC) Act, 2007 which inter-alia mandateg that the State  Government shall prescribe & comprchensive action providing protection of life and property of Senior Citizens plau for

- (e}: The' existing National Folicy on Older Persons (NPOP) was announced in 1999 to reaffin the commitment of the Government to epsure the well of the older persons Keeping in view the changing demographic pattern, socio-economic needs of the senior citizens, social value system &nd advancernent in the field of science and technology over the lest decade; & ncw being