Guwahati, July 18: Senior citizens of the state can now look forward to a silver lining.

The social welfare department plans to take up measures for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of senior citizens in this fiscal.

“As the department has decided to take up welfare programmes for women, children and the differently-abled, it was also necessary to initiate such welfare measures for the senior citizens of the state,” an official said.

Dispur has earmarked Rs 400 lakh for the scheme.

The official said the department will take steps to formulate a state policy for senior citizens at the earliest. “Once the policy becomes effective, it will be translated into local language to generate awareness, mainly in the rural areas where nearly 80 per cent of the senior citizens are concentrated. Seminars, workshops and meetings will also be organised at the village level, which will help in effective implementation of the schemes.”

Around Rs 10 lakh will be provided for infrastructural development of old-age homes.

The department has proposed construction of old-age homes in Nagaon, Guwahati, Tezpur, Lakhimpur, the Barak Valley, the hill districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, among others, in a phased manner. “A proposal involving Rs 2,79,70,500 for the construction has been submitted to the North Eastern Council,.” the official said, adding that the department has also proposed to construct and maintain separate old-age homes for men and women at the district-level and also for the above poverty line group in collaboration with NGOs.”

The department in collaboration with Help Age India, an NGO, would also introduce a helpline number for the welfare of the elderly.