With Dharwad district being one among the two districts in Karnataka under ‘Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojna’, senior citizens belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) category will now get physical aids and assisted-living devices, Pralhad Joshi, Dharwad MP, has said.
Launching the scheme here on Thursday, Mr. Joshi said it was aimed at providing senior citizens with age-related disability/infirmity particularly low vision, hearing impairment, loss of teeth and locomotor disability, with such assisted-living devices that would restore near normalcy in their bodily functions to overcome the disability. South Bengaluru is the other district in Karnataka that will implement the scheme. It is being implemented by the Ministry for Social Justice & Empowerment and ALIMCO (Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India)
Mr. Joshi said under the scheme, ALIMCO would undertake free maintenance of the aids and assisted living devices. These would help senior citizens overcome age-related physical disabilities and lead a more productive life with minimal dependence.
The first of its kind in India, the scheme would benefit 5.2 lakh senior citizens over three years, he said.
According to 2011 census, India’s population of senior citizens stood at 10.38 crore and 5.2% of them were affected by age-related impairments.
The Centre had made a proposal in this regard in the Union budget for 2015-16 and now it was being implemented in a phased manner.
The expenses for the scheme fully funded by the Centre would be met from the Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund. Walking sticks, elbow crutches, walkers, tripods, quadpods, hearing aids, wheelchairs, artificial dentures and spectacles would be given. On Thursday, 334 senior citizens were given different physical aids. The assisted living devices were of high quality and conformed to the standards laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards, Mr. Joshi said.
