Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 15: A delegation of Association for Welfare of Senior Citizens (AWCS), Jammu led by its president Virender Kumar Gupta and former president SK Gupta today met Chief Secretary (CS) Atal Dulloo and project several important issues concerning senior citizens.
The delegation urged Dulloo to formulate and implement, in a phased manner, a comprehensive plan for the development of “Pay and Stay Homes”, Day Care Homes”, in addition to the Old Age Homes as commanded under Section 19 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.
The delegation members also sought certain privileges relating to medical support for senior citizens such as Government hospitals or hospitals funded fully or partially by the Government to provide beds for all senior citizens, separate queues to be arranged for senior citizens, facility for treatment of chronic, terminal and degenerative diseases to be expanded for senior citizens, etc.
The Chief Secretary was also impressed upon to establish a ‘Welfare Fund’ to meet the obligations for welfare and rehabilitation of senior citizens that may arise out of provisions of the Act and Rules framed there under and early establishment of a ‘UT Council of Senior Citizens’ to advise the UT Administration on effective implementation of the provisions of the Act.
The delegation requested Dulloo that a small piece of land (measuring approximately 10 Marlas) may be allotted out of vacant JDA/JMC/Housing Board lands within Jammu city to be utilized for construction of Association Office cum Recreation/Day Care Centre. Stating that a “Recreation cum Health Centre” has been recently developed by J&K Housing Board at Green Belt Park, Sector 1, Channi Himmat Colony, the delegation sought allotment of some space in the said building to the Association to use it as “Office cum Recreation/Day Care Centre”.
“The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in November 2023 extended CGHS facilities to pensioners under various Union Territories including J&K but despite lapse of more than three months, the same has not been implemented so far,” the members said and sought intervention of the CS in getting early implementation of the Office Memorandum.
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