Ludhiana
(Gurvinder Sidhu)
Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Rakesh Kumar on Tuesday directed all government departments to ensure dedicated counters for senior citizens so that their grievances and applications can be resolved speedily and conveniently.
At a meeting regarding the empowerment of specially-abled persons, implementation of provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and the welfare of the Senior Citizens and Maintenance Act 2007, Kumar examined the current status and implementation of various social security schemes and welfare programmes being run by the Punjab Government for elderly persons across the district. He strongly urged senior citizens and all eligible beneficiaries to actively participate in the special camps organised under the district administration’s ‘Sade Buzurg, Sada Maan’ campaign.
These camps are scheduled to be held at including Guru Amardas Old Age Home in Village Sarabha on February 11, Nishkam Seva Old Age Home in Village Behla on February 18 and Guru Nanak Charitable Trust, Gurmat Bhawan, Mullanpur on February 25.
The ADC also appealed to all eligible senior citizens to make maximum use of these camps to avail themselves of the benefits they are entitled to.
Kumar reiterated the state government’s firm commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of senior citizens. He instructed all government offices to ensure that elderly persons visiting them receive immediate attention and prompt resolution of their issues. He specifically directed the police department to prominently display the names and contact details of nodal officers at every police station so that senior citizens do not face any difficulty or inconvenience while seeking assistance.
District Social Security Officer Varinder Singh Tiwana informed that an amount of Rs 55.93 crore has already been disbursed to beneficiaries under various welfare schemes meant for senior citizens, orphans and persons with disabilities, and that there is currently no pendency in any pension case.
Emphasising accessibility, Kumar stressed that all upcoming government buildings must fully comply with prescribed accessibility standards, while existing government buildings should be retrofitted with ramps and other necessary facilities at the earliest. He reviewed the progress made by the Health Department towards achieving 100 per cent coverage of Unique Disability ID (UDID) cards for all persons with disabilities through special camps. He further directed the department to ensure that every eligible senior citizen is enrolled under the Mukhya Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana.
Among those present at the meeting were DIO Harpreet Singh, District Attorney Vishal Anand, Dr Ritu Dhiman, SP Karkara, Inderjit Singh, Anil Bharti, Sara Johnson, Suresh Chaudhary, Dr Rajiv Horan and other senior officers.
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