NEW DELHI: The Senior Citizens Council chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday unanimously adopted a new policy for senior citizens in the Capital. It envisages extension of help and support for improving financial security, health care, social care, physical security as well as for meeting their other needs.

The newly approved policy provides for active participation of senior citizens in implementing the initiatives for their welfare. It recognises the need for a larger budget allocation to provide for welfare of senior citizens. The Chief Minister announced on the occasion that a workshop would soon be organised to facilitate various committees constituted under the Council to chalk out modalities and an action plan.

Others who attended the meeting included Delhi Finance Minister A. K. Walia, Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, Social Welfare Minister Yoganand Shastri and Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely.

Addressing the meeting, Ms. Dikshit said senior citizens had given their most active years to society working in various capacities and now they deserve special consideration of society at large and the Government in particular. Ms. Dikshit said the new policy aims at tailoring existing services and developing new ones to meet the needs of senior citizens. The policy envisages ensuring welfare of senior citizens and improving quality of their lives. It also proposes affirmative action by the Government departments in collaboration with civil society to ensure that the existing public services for this class of citizens are made more user-friendly and sensitive.

It was also disclosed that the Government had decided to establish senior citizens' counters in all its public dealing Departments. It has also decided to widely disseminate information about the existing facilities --- recreation centres, old age homes, parks and other aspects of interest to senior citizens. A liberal scheme of assistance for setting up Senior Citizens Recreation Centres with partnership between the Social Welfare Department and the Senior Citizens' Welfare Associations/non-government organisations was also announced. The Government would provide a one-time non-recurring grant of Rs.50,000 apart from a recurring monthly grant of Rs.15,000 per recreation centre. Basic facilities to be provided at the senior citizens' recreation centres include library, in-door games, TV, CD player and radio, medical facilities, part time yoga services and link with the nearest police station. The Senior Citizens' Welfare Associations, residents' welfare associations and other registered organisations working in the field of senior citizens welfare would manage the centres.

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