Let Us Take Advantage of Facilities Given by Government.

Let Us Take Advantage of Facilities Given by Government.   M.V.Ruparelia.

National Policy, 99 recognizes our Associations (NGOs) as very important institutional mechanism to provide user-friendly affordable services to senior citizens of their areas. Elder persons should be encouraged by our Associations for involving them to provide services to fellow senior citizens, thereby making use of their professional knowledge, expertise and contacts. All associations should sincerely work towards this goal and get benefits given by governments and local bodies reach to all elders of their areas. Each Association and active Senior Citizen should have copy of NPOP, 99; Maintenance Act, 2007 & Rules made there under by their State/UT; List of Facilities & Concessions given by Central & State Governments and Local Body of their area; Integrated Programmes of 16 Schemes by Ministry of Social Justice, National programme for Health Care of Elders (NPHCE), Help Lines of their area; Vrudhashrams in their areas etc. (Please, see  Web Sites of Nodal Ministry, Ministry of Health & F.W. & my blogs: http://mvrup.blogspot.com or http://blogs.rediff.com/mvrup).They should constantly endeavor to disseminate such information amongst all senior citizens of their areas and help & guide those, who approach them. In this article, we shall see very useful but most neglected (by us) facility given by our Nodal Ministry viz Integrated Programmes to Older Persons (IPOP) of the Country.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES of Integrated Programmes for Older Persons (IPOP) 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 Our Associations (NGOs)/ Panchayats/ Municipalities/local bodies and the Community at large. Assistance under the scheme is given to our Associations (eligible Non-Governmental Voluntary Organizations with 2 years registration); the Panchayati Raj Institutions / Municipalities/local bodies for the following purposes:-

(i) Programmes catering to the basic needs of Older Persons particularly food, shelter and health care to the destitute elderly; (ii) Programmes to build and strengthen intergenerational relationships particularly between children/youth and Older Persons; (iii) Programmes for encouraging Active and Productive Ageing; (iv) Programmes for proving Institutional as well as Non Institutional Care/Services to Older Persons; (v) Research, Advocacy and Awareness building programmes in the field of Ageing; and (vi) Any other programmes in the best interests of Older Persons.

It would be observed from the above that government is ready to give financial assistance for above purposes. Our Registered Associations should take advantage of this for benefits of senior citizens of their areas. Some active office bearers/senior citizens, having preconceived ideas for government working, pride & prejudice avoid dealing with government machinery depriving their senior citizens of various facilities very much needed & useful for them. We may experience many difficulties in dealing with government departments but having come of our own volition in the field of social service, our inactions and thinking should not deprive our senior citizens for whom we have to work. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment allocates huge funds every year to your State/UT, which is not used fully. They have given details of assistance for 16 schemes and you can have any programme for your area, keeping aims & objects in view. If you study this Integrated Programmes, you will realize that how much is being done by government for us. To give one or two examples, you will be happy to know that if you arrange a Camp for about 50 senior citizens through recognized charitable hospital, nursing home, medical institutes, colleges etc for disability of hearing and providing hearing aids, dentures, knee braces etc free of cost, Ministry is giving up to Rs 1,60,000 per camp. For physiotherapy Centre, which is needed more in this age, Ministry gives Rs 7,00,000 for equipments and Rs 2,36,000 p.a. for day to day expenditure. For Day Care Centre for 50 members, it gives Rs3,74, 000 p.a. and Rs 32000 for furniture etc. For running your registered association, 90% grant to the extent of Rs 1,44,000 p.a. (12000 p.m.) is given for 5 years on various items of expenditure and Rs 50000 for non recurring expenditure for furniture, telephone, computer etc, if your membership is 1000 and above and to your Federations/Confederations, if membership is more than 20000. They have given details of grants for 16 schemes  for which our Associations can get financial assistance with managerial staff etc.

Ministry of Social Justice is giving grants to NGOs, Municipalities, Panchayats etc to the extant of 90% for recurring and non-recurring expenditure for providing various very useful 16 schemes for Senior Citizens as laid down in their INTEGRATED PROGRAMME FOR OLDER PERSONS (IPOP), revised from 1-4-2008. We are not getting these huge grants utilized, though allotted by Nodal Ministry to our States/UTs during last 5 years and thus deprive our members and our elders of these very useful facilities. Please, see the detailed statement from Web Site of Nodal Ministry showing State‐wise Notional Allocation vis‐à‐vis amount released, number of projects assisted and beneficiaries covered during 2011‐12 in your State/UT. It would be observed that advantage is being taken mainly by NGOs of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamilnadu, Karnatak and Manipur. States like Gujarat, Goa and Jharkhand perhaps do not know much about these schemes, as not a single NGO has applied. States like Bihar, H.P., Kerala, M.P., U.P., Uttarakhand, Chhatisgarh, Rajasthan etc have negligible response. Not a single Municipality or Panchayat has ever applied in last 5 years. This is a serious position and requires personal attention of all Associations/Federations/Confederation. Special efforts are required by all to study Integrated Programmes (IPOP) and encourage their Municipalities/Panchayats and NGOs including our registered associations to get all 16 schemes provided in each ward of your city/village.

One more disturbing feature of this Statement is that most of the grants have been taken for Old Age Home (OAH) and Day Care Centres for Care of old persons with Dementia (DCC-item no. 5 of the list), leaving more important Schemes like Multi Service Centres (Day Care Centres for all Senior Citizens), Physiotherapy Clinics, Training for Care Givers, Awareness Projects for Older Persons, Multi Facility Care Centres for Older Widows, Volunteers Bureaus, Senior Citizens Associations/Self Help Groups etc. Special Drive for provision of all Schemes in your area by Municipality/Panchayat/NGOs is necessary. Kindly, do needful and help your Elders.

ELIGIBILITY CRIETERIA FOR ASSISTANCE UNDER THE SCHEME for your Association is as under:-i) The Non-governmental voluntary organization should be a registered body, under an appropriate Act so that it gets a corporate status and a legal personality and a group liability is established for its activities; ii) It should be registered either under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 or relevant State Societies Registration Act and has already been working for at least two years; or a Public Trust registered under any law for the time being in force or a charitable company licensed under Section 525 of Companies Act, 1958.iii) It should have been registered for a minimum period of two years but in the case of the North Eastern region, J&K, Desert areas and under serviced/Under-represented areas, this condition of two years will not be applicable. In other deserving cases, the condition of two years may be relaxed with the approval of the Secretary (SJ&E) on case-to-case basis. iv) The Organization shall have a properly constituted managing body with its powers, duties and responsibilities clearly defined and laid down in a written Constitution; It shall have an appropriate administrative structure and a duly constituted managing/ executive committee; v) The organization is initiated and governed by its own members on democratic principles.vi) The aims and objects of the organization and programmes in fulfillment of those aims and objects are specifically laid down; vii) The Organization shall not run for profit to any individual or a body of individuals; The Organization should possess proven credentials and capabilities to handle such projects.

These grants are substantial and likely to be increased shortly. These grants are admissible to all Registered Associations of Senior Citizens working for 2 years & above and NGOS, Panchayats, Municipalities (all local bodies), Trusts, Hospitals, Nursing Homes and all registered & recognized Social & Government Organizations, State Governments etc. Where Associations do not want to do themselves, they can get these done through other agencies by constant persuasion. It is better to do yourself rather than pursuing others. Details of the Scheme & procedures to be followed can be seen from their Web Site: www.socialjustice.nic.in   Our Associations of Senior Citizens are requested to work hard towards provision of these facilities in their areas by themselves or through various agencies mentioned above.

Our Associations should also work hard to get State Councils, District Committees, Volunteers Committees with Police etc under Maintenance Act, 2007 established for regular & wide publicity of Policies and continuous negotiations for effective implementation of various policies for senior citizens. Lot of facilities and monthly IGNOAPension are given to BPL senior citizens. They being illiterate, they are to be provided full assistance by our associations to get these facilities. Lot of funds are being allotted by Ministry of Health for providing geriatric wards, hospitals etc but are not used by States/UTs. Associations must pursue this also with State/UT authorities.