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.
