Punjab to give grant-in-aid for senior citizen homes

Punjab social security, women and child development minister Aruna Chaudhary said applications have been invited from NGOs for grant-in-aid for opening and running old age homes in 16 districts of the state

Chandigarh Punjab social security, women and child development minister Aruna Chaudhary announced on Sunday that her department will provide grant-in-aid to eligible NGOs for establishing and running Senior Citizen Homes in 16 districts of the state.

A grant-in-aid of ₹3.8 crore was released to such NGOs in Amritsar, Ludhiana and Ferozepur districts for Senior Citizen Homes in 2020-21. (HT FILE PHOTO FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)

She added that a grant-in-aid of ₹3.8 crore was released to such NGOs in district Amritsar, Ludhiana and Ferozepur for Senior Citizen Homes in 2020-21.

Chaudhary added that this will be done under ‘The Punjab Management of Senior Citizen Homes for Elderly Persons Scheme 2019’. The department is already successfully running Senior Citizens Home in Hoshiarpur; the facilities are under construction in Mansa and Barnala districts.

“In the remaining 19 districts, it has also been decided to provide grant-in-aid for establishing and running senior citizen homes in collaboration with local NGOs to provide shelter, food, clothing, health facilities and other essential necessities to the aged people,” she added.

For this financial year, applications have been invited from NGOs for grant-in-aid for opening and running old age homes in Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Muktsar, Moga, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Patiala, Rup Nagar, SAS Nagar, Sangrur and Tarn Taran districts.

Referring to the conditions for providing grants to such NGOs, the minister added that the institution must have its own building and it should be registered under ‘The Punjab Management of Senior Citizen Homes for Elderly Persons Scheme 2019’.