Deserted senior citizens would soon get homes in five districts of the state.
The state government has set the ball rolling by inviting tenders to set up old-age homes to accommodate the elderly.
The ambitious project of the government has been hanging fire for over a year. Land has been identified and also allotted to the social welfare department. Tenders have been invited to construct the buildings for the purpose.
However, for the time being, the department has decided to run the old-age home from a rented accommodation.
“We have invited tenders from non-government organisations, which have the expertise in running such homes for the elderly,” social welfare department director (security) K.K. Verma said.
Verma added that the process of shortlisting the names of the organisations would be completed by September-end. The homes have been proposed in Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur and Purnea. Each home would have a capacity to accommodate 100 people, aged above 60 years.
Patna district magistrate N. Saravana Kumar said the administration has identified a building of the district board at Khagaul to run the home temporarily in the capital.
“But the district board appears reluctant to allot the building for the purpose,” he told The Telegraph.
The district magistrate said he has issued fresh directives to the authorities concerned to identify another building to set up the home at the earliest.
“We hope that the home for the neglected parents would start functioning shortly,” he said, adding that a district-level committee has also been set up to monitor its functioning.
Saravana said the land for setting up the home has been identified and allotted to the welfare department.
“It is up to the department to decide when to start the construction of the building. There is no delay on our part,” he added.
Social welfare department director Verma said the district magistrates of the five districts which have been selected for the homes have been asked to set up district-level committees at the earliest.
“Once the names of the NGOs in the districts concerned are finalised, they would be assigned the job,” he said.
He said a five-member committee comprising the civil surgeon, two representatives from equal number of NGOs and two elderly people/pensioners headed by assistant director of social security of the social welfare department, has to be set up in the five districts for the smooth functioning of the homes.
aid for elderly
Who’s eligible?
People aged above 60 years
Falls below the poverty line
Having annual income below Rs 60,000
Should not have a relative to look after l
Priority will be given to those who had gone missing and apprehended threat to their lives for being homeless
Number mismatch
Bihar has around 10 million elderly people
In Patna, 56 per cent of the elderly people suffer from family abuse
Government intends to open homes in five districts with capacity to accommodate 100 elderly people