Do Our Associations Know?

Do Our Associations Know?                                                 M.V.Ruparelia.

1.      National Policy, 99 has considered Senior Citizens as respected Citizens requiring strengthening of their legitimate place in the Society and has pledged to take all actions to help them to live their last phase of life with Purpose, Dignity and Peace. It has recognized the Senior Citizens as a Resource of the Country. Policy has envisaged that age 60+ is a phase, when individual should have chances and opportunities to lead an active, creative, productive and satisfying life.

2.      Policy has recognized the NGOs as very special & important Institutional Mechanism to provide User-friendly affordable Services to Senior Citizens. Our Associations have to mobilize senior citizens, particulate their interests, promote & undertake programmes and activities for their wellbeing and to advise the Government on all matters relating to senior citizens. There should be continuous dialogue & communication with NGOs on ageing issues. Our Associations are expected to organize various services like Day Care Centres, friendly home visits to older ailing persons, escorting them to hospitals, shopping complexes & other places, satisfy the needs of senior citizens for social interaction, recreation & other activities; organize sensitivity programmes on ageing issues, help them to overcome loneliness, use our professional knowledge, expertise and contacts for needy senior citizens, create awareness about various measures and policies of the government etc.

3.      Do our Associations know what Government has provided to enable Associations to do their part of duties envisaged in Policy, 99? Financial Assistance to the extent of 90% of Recurring & Non-recurring Expenditure for various facilities for Senior Citizens is provided in the Scheme of Integrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP). The main objective of the Scheme is to improve the quality of life of the Older Persons by providing basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care and entertainment opportunities and by encouraging productive and active ageing through providing support for capacity building of Government / Non-Governmental Organizations / Panchayati Raj Institutions / local bodies and the Community at large. The following facilities can be provided by Associations or through Local Bodies, Educational Institutions, Charitable Hospitals/Nursing Homes, Youth Organizations etc for their area senior citizens.

Sr No	Facility	Minimum No. of Beneficiary.	Grants Non-recurring  Recurring	Remarks.
1	Maintenance of Old Age Homes	25	1,25,000          5,42,000	More for more beneficiaries.
2	Maintenance of Respite Homes/Continuous Care Homes	25	120000            600000	-Do-
3	Multi Service Centre	50	32000            374000
4	Mobile Medicare Unit	400 p.m.	-                         296000
5	Day Care Centre for Older Persons with dementia.	20	120000              858000	More for more beneficiaries.
6	Physiotherapy Clinics	50	700000               236000
7	Disability & Hearing Aids for Elderly	Per Camp	-                           160000
8	Mental Health Care camps	Per Camp	-                              9500
9	Help Line & Counseling	-	80000                  492000
10	Sensitization of School/College students	-	80000                  307000
11	Regional Resource & Training Centre	-	112000                663000
12	Training of Care Givers to older persons	20 Trainees	60000                 336000
13	Awareness Projects for older persons	i)Monthly Radio Programme ii) Street Play Min 2 p.m. iii)Workshop, Seminar Min 2 p.m.	5000p.m. 10000 per event 4000 per programme
14	Multi Facility Centre for older widowed women	50 women	250000                672000
15	Volunteers Bureau for older persons	Min 100 Placements p.a.	36000                 108000
16	Formation of Vridha Sanghs/Associations of Senior Citizens/Self Help Groups	Min. 1000 for divisional level Min 20000 for State Level	50000                 144000

4.      Grant-in-aid is sanctioned to Senior Citizen Associations and Self Help Groups of senior citizens for formation of Vridha Sanghas / Senior Citizen Associations / Self Help Groups at State District and Division levels for mobilization of the senior citizens, articulate their interests, promote and undertake programmes and activities for their well being. Such an association division / district level should have atleast 1000/5000 senior citizens as its members and in case of State level associations; atleast 20,000. The Government will provide financial assistance to the Associations for a maximum period of 5 years (as against 15 years in Policy, 99) within which they are expected to become self-sufficient through contributions and donations. Existing Registered Associations by carrying out above said functions viz mobilization of the senior citizens, articulate their interests, promote and undertake programmes and activities for their well being with membership of 1000 & more can also apply in prescribed form for this grant. Federations at State/UT level having membership of more than 20000 for all registered associations affiliated to them and doing above functions can also apply. Our AISCCON can also apply for their 90% Recurring & Non-recurring expenses on the basis of the membership of all affiliated Federations & Associations (For membership of more than 6 lakh, amount shown above for 20000 can be 30 times, limited to 90% thereof, again limited to 90% of their expenses. All our Associations/Federations & AISCCON can get started any of the above 16 schemes in their areas and get these grants through State Government or pursue local bodies of their areas and get them provided for benefit of all senior citizens of their area. Large amount of funds are provided by Ministry every year but amounts are not fully utilized. This year as much as Rs 1200 crore-Rs. 80 crore exclusively for Old Age Homes under MWPSC Act by States and Rs 40 crore for above items is provided.