Lok Sabha Question No. 621 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-20
Subject: Welfare of Destitute Widows
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: RADHESHYAM BISWAS, GOPAL CHINAYYA SHETTY, KAMLA DEVI PATLE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.621

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2018

## WELFARE OF DESTITUTE WIDOWS

## 621. SHRI RADHESHYAM BISWAS: SHRI GOPAL SHETTY: SHRIMATI KAMLA DEVI PAATLE:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of destitute widows living in the country at present, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has taken note that such women are living a pitiable/miserable life in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of schemes being implemented by the Government for such women along with the funds allocated/ released and utilised thereunder during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;
- (d) whether the Government  has also made  any provision to establish and maintain ashram/shelter homes for widows/senior citizens and provide basic facilities to them and if so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  funds  provided  thereunder  during  the  said  period, State/ UT-wise;
- (e) the  criteria  prescribed  for  establishment  of  new  ashram/shelter  homes  indicating  the number  of  such  homes  presently  functional  and  number  of  women  benefited  thereby, State/UT-wise; and
- (f) whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  to  establish  new  ashram/shelter  homes  for widows/senior citizens and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF  WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR)

- (a) The  Registrar  General  of  India  conducts  decennial  Population  Census  wherein  data collected on all persons living in the country at the time of Census. The number of widows as per census 2011, as provided by Registrar General of India, is annexed as Annexure-I .
- (b) Yes, madam. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has constructed a Home for Widows in Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh with the capacity of 1000 inmates.
- (c) to  (e)      The  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  is  implementing  the  Swadhar Greh Scheme which targets the women victims of unfortunate circumstances who are in need of institutional support for rehabilitation so that they could lead their life with dignity. The Scheme envisages providing shelter, food, clothing and health as well as economic and

social security  for the  women victims of difficult circumstances which includes  widows, destitute women and aged women. The details of funds released to under Swadhar Greh Scheme during the last three years and current year is as Annexure - II . Under Swadhar Greh Scheme, Government shall grant assistance for construction of rooms/cottages/ huts for the shelter of the residents and common facilities like  kitchen, bathroom, training hall, recreation  room,  dining  hall  office  room  etc  and  infrastructure  facilities  like  water, electricity,  approach  road,  boundary  wall  etc.  The  grant  shall  be  subject  to  a  ceiling  of Rs.1,33,000/- per resident. Construction grant  will be given to State Governments agencies including Women  Development  Corporation, Central or State autonomous bodies, Municipal  Corporations  and  Panchayati  Raj  Institutions  only.  Further,  the  Ministry  of Women  and  Child  Development  has  constructed  a  Home  for  Widows  in  Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh with the capacity of 1000 inmates.

The  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  is  implementing  Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC) {earlier  Integrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP)}  with the objective of improving the quality of life of senior citizens by providing basic  amenities  like  shelter,  food,  medical  case  and  entertainment  opportunities  and  by encouraging productive and active ageing. The Scheme has been revised w.e.f. 01.04.2018 under which the programme of MFCC has been merged with the programme of 'Senior Citizen  Homes'  as  'Homes  for  50  Elderly  Women'.  Under  this  Scheme,  financial assistance  is  provided  to  implementing  agencies  like  Non-Governmental  for  running  and maintenance  of  projects  of  , inter  alia ,  Multi  Facility  Care  Centres  for  Older  Widows (MFCC) where Grant-in-aid is provided for a project for running an Old Age Home for 50 older widows. In addition to providing full time shelter and care to the beneficiaries, the widow home gives training in income generating activities, conduct religious programmes, yoga etc. Therefore, under the Scheme of IPSrC, financial assistance is given for running and maintenance of programmes of, inter alia , 'Homes for 50 Elderrly Women', and not for construction. The details of funds released during last three years and current year to the programme of Multi Facility Care Centres is at Annexure - III .

- (f) No, Madam.

*****

Annexure referred to  in  reply  of  part  (a)  of  Lok  Sabha  unstarred  Question  No.  621  for 20.07.2018 regarding Welfare of Destitute Widows. The number of Widows as per Census 2011.

| India/States/UTs                      |   Widows |
|---------------------------------------|----------|
| INDIA                                 | 43261478 |
| State - JAMMU &KASHMIR (01)           |   283650 |
| State - HIMACHAL PRADESH (02)         |   293475 |
| State - PUNJAB (03)                   |   928158 |
| State - CHANDIGARH (04)               |    24496 |
| State - UTTARAKHAND (05)              |   387215 |
| State - HARYANA (06)                  |   773297 |
| State - NCT OF DELHI (07)             |   456613 |
| State - RAJASTHAN (08)                |  1983634 |
| State - UTTAR PRADESH (09)            |  4856188 |
| State - BIHAR (10)                    |  2238793 |
| State - SIKKIM (11)                   |    13717 |
| State - ARUNACHAL PRADESH (12)        |    31787 |
| State - NAGALAND (13)                 |    39496 |
| State - MANIPUR (14)                  |    77990 |
| State - MIZORAM (15)                  |    28569 |
| State - TRIPURA (16)                  |   164969 |
| State - MEGHALAYA (17)                |    84825 |
| State - ASSAM (18)                    |  1156042 |
| State - WEST BENGAL (19)              |  3792184 |
| State - JHARKHAND (20)                |  1027878 |
| State - ODISHA (21)                   |  1612627 |
| State - CHHATTISGARH (22)             |   973787 |
| State -MADHYA PRADESH (23)            |  2160609 |
| State - GUJARAT (24)                  |  2015742 |
| State -DAMAN &DIU (25)                |     6816 |
| State - DADRA &NAGARHAVELI (26)       |     7378 |
| State - MAHARASHTRA (27)              |  4520764 |
| State - ANDHRA PRADESH (28)           |  4297481 |
| State - KARNATAKA (29)                |  2989429 |
| State - GOA (30)                      |    77935 |
| State - LAKSHADWEEP (31)              |     2448 |
| State - KERALA (32)                   |  2010984 |
| State - TAMILNADU (33)                |  3856398 |
| State - PUDUCHERRY (34)               |    73579 |
| State - ANDAMAN &NICOBAR ISLANDS (35) |    12525 |

Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  of  part  (c)  of  Lok  Sabha  unstarred  Question  No.  621  for 20.07.2018  regarding  Welfare  of  Destitute  Widows.  The  details  of  funds  released  under Swadhar Greh Scheme during the last three years and current year State/UT-wise.

| S. No.   | Name of States                                      | Amount Released during 2015-16   |   Amount Released during 2016-17 |   Amount Released during 2017-18 | Amount Released 2018-19 as on 17.07.2018   |
|----------|-----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh                                      | 48.21                            |                           124.47 |                           156.61 | -                                          |
| 2        | Assam                                               | 43.47                            |                           237.56 |                           197.03 | -                                          |
| 3        | Andaman &Nicobar Island                             | 0                                |                             4.4  |                             9.01 | -                                          |
| 4        | Arunachal Pradesh                                   | 0                                |                             6.54 |                             8.11 | -                                          |
| 5        | Bihar                                               | 0                                |                            69.79 |                            86.54 | -                                          |
| 6        | Chandigarh                                          | 0                                |                             7.27 |                             9.01 | -                                          |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh                                        | 5.26                             |                            17.44 |                            16.22 | -                                          |
| 8        | Dadra &Nagar Haveli                                 | 0                                |                             0    |                             0    | -                                          |
| 9        | Daman &Diu                                          | 0                                |                             0    |                             0    | -                                          |
| 10       | Delhi                                               | 0                                |                            14    |                            18.02 | -                                          |
| 11       | Gujarat                                             | 7.58                             |                            40.5  |                            37.86 | --                                         |
| 12       | Goa                                                 | 0                                |                             4.36 |                             5.4  | -                                          |
| 13       | Haryana                                             | 0                                |                             4.36 |                             9.77 | -                                          |
| 14       | Himachal Pradesh                                    | 0                                |                             0    |                             0    | -                                          |
| 15       | Jharkhand                                           | 6.46                             |                            24.41 |                            18.32 | -                                          |
| 16       | Jammu &Kashmir                                      | 17.74                            |                            40    |                            32.45 | -                                          |
| 17       | Karnataka                                           | 67.94                            |                           461.95 |                           560.73 | 1.45                                       |
| 18       | Kerala                                              | 0                                |                            52.36 |                            43.27 | -                                          |
| 19       | Lakshadweep                                         | 0                                |                             0    |                             0    | -                                          |
| 20       | Madhya Pradesh                                      | 50.77                            |                            95.91 |                            89.99 | -                                          |
| 21       | Maharashtra                                         | 35.89                            |                           576.88 |                           438.36 | 6.41                                       |
| 22       | Mizoram                                             | 2.48                             |                            16.72 |                            16.22 | -                                          |
| 23       | Manipur                                             | 47.76                            |                           284.07 |                           189.83 | -                                          |
| 24       | Meghalaya                                           | 0                                |                             0    |                             8.72 | -                                          |
| 25       | Nagaland                                            | 0                                |                             6.54 |                             8.11 | -                                          |
| 26       | Odisha                                              | 269.16                           |                           723.85 |                           521.43 | 11.08                                      |
| 27       | Punjab                                              | 0                                |                            10.52 |                            10.81 | -                                          |
| 28       | Puducherry                                          | 0                                |                             7.27 |                             9.01 | -                                          |
| 29       | Rajasthan                                           | 9.13                             |                            68.4  |                           102.98 | -                                          |
| 30       | Sikkim                                              | 0                                |                             6.54 |                             8.11 | -                                          |
| 31       | Tamil Nadu                                          | 12.48                            |                           247.22 |                           280.07 | -                                          |
| 32       | Telangana                                           | 63.24                            |                           134.61 |                           177.88 | 8.87                                       |
| 33       | Tripura                                             | 0                                |                            26.17 |                            32.45 | -                                          |
| 34       | Uttar Pradesh                                       | 1490.89                          |                           383.43 |                           598.1  | 13.16                                      |
| 35       | Uttarkhand                                          | 3.63                             |                            69.93 |                            92.33 | -                                          |
| 36       | West Bengal                                         | 154.48                           |                            18.37 |                           448.35 | 1.56                                       |
| 37       | CSWB for SSH                                        | 2521.25                          |                          1519.46 |                             0    | 0                                          |
|          | CSWB for construction of Swadhar Greh in Vrindavan, | -                                |                          3073    |                          1476    | -                                          |
|          | UP Total                                            | 4857.82                          |                          8378.3  |                          5717.1  | 42.55                                      |

Annexure referred to in reply of part (c) of Lok Sabha unstarred Question No. 621 for 20.07.2018 regarding Welfare of Destitute Widows. The details of funds released during last three years and current year to the programme of Multi Facility Care Centres for Older Widows, now renamed as Senior Citizens Home for 50 elderly Women is as under:-

## (Rupees in lakh)

| Sl.No.   | Name of State    |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 (as on 16.07.2018) |
|----------|------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh   |      6.22 |     12.07 |     12.07 |                         0    |
| 2.       | Gujarat          |      0    |      0    |      1.23 |                         0    |
| 3.       | Himachal Pradesh |      0    |      0    |      5.96 |                         0    |
| 4.       | Karnataka        |     26.5  |     49.78 |      6.47 |                         0    |
| 5.       | Madhya Pradesh   |      0    |      0    |      0    |                         0    |
| 6.       | Maharashtra      |     95.24 |     32.35 |     68.03 |                        66.09 |
| 7.       | Orissa           |     23.89 |     32.36 |     75.49 |                         0    |
| 8.       | Tamil Nadu       |      6.97 |     21.28 |     17.94 |                        12.94 |
| 9.       | Uttrakhand       |      0    |      0    |      2.38 |                         0    |
| 10.      | Assam            |      0    |      6.76 |     26.7  |                        12.94 |
| 11.      | Manipur          |      0    |      0    |      2.38 |                         0    |
|          | Total            |    158.82 |    154.6  |    218.65 |                        91.97 |