Welfare centres for the elderly across State soon

Hyderabad: Minister for Women, Child Development and Physically Challenged Welfare Tummala Nageshwar Rao directed the officials concerned to set up a centre specially for aged persons on the lines of day care centres in every municipal area in the district. The officials were asked to issue guidelines to every office in the districts to ensure that elderly persons should be given due respect.

The Minister conducted a State-level meeting on the welfare of the aged persons here on Tuesday and asked the Health, Transport, Municipal and Police departments to take steps to ensure their welfare and well-being. The Minister stressed the need for addressing the health and personal problems of elderly persons wherever they reside, in all districts through a helpline.

The aged persons should be given due respect in all government offices and in society also, he said. A separate centre for their welfare should be opened up in every municipality, better health services should be made available besides providing concession in RTC buses, he said.

In addition to three Old Age Homes run by the State government, various NGOs were running 17 such Homes with Central funds, he said, adding that the State government would provide funds for setting up more such centres in the districts. Every government office, including police stations should give respect to them and address their issues without delay, Rao said. The officials should take necessary measures in this regard, he directed.

The Minister exhorted the officials to provide better health services at Old Age Homes and asked the police officials to address their problems if they visited police stations.

Stating that 13,39,640 aged persons out of 32,69,579 were getting pensions in the State, he said, adding that it was time to set up separate committees in all districts.