Senior citizens’ commission in Bihar soon
PATNA: There will be a separate commission for the senior citizens in the state, probably be the first of its kind in the country.
The department of social welfare is preparing to create a panel of experts and specialists for monitoring whether the facilities and provisions made for the senior citizens by the government, reach the target population and so has proposed to create an exclusive commission for the old age men and women.
The region has a population of senior citizens of nearly one crores and to help them survive and sustain and maintain the social welfare department has been providing them financial, medical and social facilities, ranging from the chief minister senior citizen (monthly) pension to Buniyaad Kendra having all kinds of medical infrastructure and experts to mobile therapy van (MTV) which bring medical facilities at the doorstep of the old persons.
Apart from these existing facilities, the department wants reservation for the senior citizens at government hospitals and has proposed one bed reserved at the public health centres (PHCs), two reserved beds at the referral hospitals and five beds reserved for them at district hospitals
Besides, in every Panchayat there will be Vayoshree Mitra to help senior citizens in their areas avail the facilities of government plans and policies. There have been 38 Buniyaad Kendras which are equipped with all kinds medical infrastructure and experts. The welfare department has planned to develop 101 such centres in the state and each of these unit will also have some case workers to help senior citizens.
“All these development works are virtually a five- year plan. But once these facilities will come into existence, their monitoring will be needed. We already have so many complaints regarding pension schemes and medical facilities meant for senior citizens.
This is why we have planned a commission which will take care of all kinds of complaints and problems and their redressals,” Rajkumar, director, social welfare department, said.