Chief Minister Vijayan also suggested creating awareness among senior citizens regarding the various schemes for them.
Published Jul 11, 2023 | 2:31 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 11, 2023 | 2:31 PM
Census of senior citizens in Kerala. (iStock)
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has decided to conduct a census of senior citizens in Kerala to provide better facilities and benefits to the increasing elderly population in the state.
While evaluating the schemes being implemented by various departments for the elderly in the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Monday, 10 July, that a census of the senior citizen population would be conducted and a data bank prepared.
Data would also be collected regarding the functioning of orphanages, old age homes and shelters for destitute persons, the chief minister said, according to a statement issued by his office (CMO).
Higher Education Minister R Bindu, who attended the high-level evaluation meeting, said the survey would collect all details— medical, financial and family background —of the senior citizens for which services of the Anganwadi workers would be utilised.
She said a meeting of the programme officers of the National Service Scheme (NSS) was held in Thrissur district recently to work out the modalities of the data collection.
The plan is to begin the survey within and complete it in three months, she said.
“It will be a survey to find out all the difficulties and problems being faced by the senior citizens in our state,” the minister told PTI.
In the high-level meeting, Vijayan also suggested creating awareness among the senior citizens regarding the various schemes for them as lack of knowledge about them was preventing many deserving persons from availing of the benefits, the statement said.
He directed officials to take steps to create awareness by utilising ward members, health inspectors, social justice department officials, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers and Kudumbashree workers.
The chief minister also directed that the Department of Social Justice run more offices at the block level to ensure the benefits of the schemes reach the grassroots level as presently it has only one office in each of the districts.
He further ordered timely inspections of the orphanages, old age homes and shelters for the destitute by the District Social Justice Officer and assess their functioning, the CMO statement said.
A review report on the functioning of these establishments was directed to be submitted to the state office once in three months, it said.
Vijayan, during the meeting, noted that presently the services of the “Vayomitram” scheme for senior citizens were limited to inmates of government-run old age homes and similar establishments, and directed that the same be extended to all such institutions, the statement said.
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