Lok Sabha Question No. 1417 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-08
Subject: CSS for Senior Citizens
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: ALOK SANJAR, VIRENDER KASHYAP

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †1417 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.12.2015

## †1417. CSS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

## SHRI ALOK SANJAR: SHRI VIRENDER KASHYAP:

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

(a) the  details  of  the  Centrally  sponsored  schemes  being  implemented  for the  welfare  of  senior citizens;

- (b)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  concrete  steps  to  make  the  said  schemes  more effective; and
- (c) if so, the details and outcome thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI VIJAY SAMPLA)

(a) to (c) This Ministry does not implement any Centrally Sponsored Schemes for the welfare of senior  citizens.  However,  Ministry  of  Health  and  Family  Welfare  launched  the  'National Programme for the Health Care of Elderly' (NPHCE)   during the year 2010-11 under a Centrally Sponsored Schemes for  providing  dedicated health care  facilities to senior citizens (above 60 years of age) at primary, secondary and tertiary health care delivery system.

The basic aim of NPHCE is to provide separate and specialised comprehensive health care to the senior citizens at various levels of state health care delivery system including outreach services.

The major activities of the NPHCE are:-

- i) Setting  up  of  Geriatric  department  in  indentified  Regional  Geriatric  Centres(RGC)  with OPD care services and 30 bedded Geriatric ward for providing indoor services. RGCs will also undertake PG Courses in Geriatric for developing Human Resource.
2. ii) Setting up of Geriatric units at all District Hospitals that will provide specialist services. A 10 bedded Geriatric Ward will also be set up for providing indoor services.
3. iii) Establishment of Rehabilitation unit at all Community Health Centres(CHCs) and Geriatric clinic twice/week
4. iv) Setting up weekly Geriatric clinic by trained Medical Officer at Primary Health Centres(PHCs).
- v) Information, education and  Communication (IEC) on healthy  life style,  home care to the bed ridden and supported devices for the needy elderly persons at the sub-centre level.

As on date, a total of 104 districts of 24 States/UTs and 08 regional Geriatric Centres have been covered under NPHCE. The  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  is  also  implementing  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  of National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), under which Old age pension is provided under Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme(IGNOAPS) to persons of the age of 60 years or more and belong to below poverty line(BPL) household. Under IGNOAPS, central assistance of Rs. 200/-p.m. is provided in the age group of 60-79 years and Rs. 500/- is provided to the persons of 80 years or more. Rate of assistance under IGNOAPS is restricted only to the BPL households and not to all senior citizens. As part of the Government's decision Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Phase-1 was rolled out from 1st July, 2013 in the 3 Pension Schemes of NSAP on pilot basis in 121 districts. Now from 12 th December  2014,  the  DBT  has  been  extended  to  across  the  country.      The  total  no.  of beneficiaries digitized is 271 lakh, beneficiaries having Bank/Post Office Accounts are 161 lakh . In order to increase the transparency and accountability in the implementation, it had been decided to computerise the data base of the beneficiaries under various schemes of NSAP. Accordingly, the  software  namely  NSAP-MIS  had  been  developed  by  NIC.  The  software  captures  all  the essential  process  and  includes  modules  on  identifications,  disbursement  of  pension,  release  of funds, verification, sanction of pension, ground for refusal etc.

The  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  &  Empowerment  is  implementing  a  Central  Sector  Scheme  of Integrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP) under which grants-in-aid are given for  running and maintenance of inter-alia ,  Old  Age Homes, Day Care Centres, Mobile Medicare Units etc. The main objective of the Scheme is to improve the quality of life of Older Persons by providing basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care and entertainment opportunities etc.

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