Spl Complexes To House Elderly In Every District Soon

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is planning to set up Social Security Infrastructure Complexes, which will act as Old Age Homes in every district. These will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 27 core each, said Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Minister Prafulla Samal.

He was speaking at an event, jointly organised by SSEPD and and HelpAge India, to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day at the Jaydev Bhawan here on Tuesday.

“The SSEPD should ensure that schemes and policies concerning senior citizens are implemented properly. There should be stringent action against the perpetrators of elderly abuse,” the Minister said.

There should be specialised geriatric section in all general hospitals of the state to cater to the needs of the elderly, he added.

SSEPD Principal Secretary Niten Chandra said the process for setting up Social Security Infrastructure Complexes  has already begun in Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Puri, Jatani (Khurda), Ganjam, Nabarangpur and Bhadrak district.

He also spoke about the Senior Citizens’ Wellness Centre being built at BMC Mall at Saheed Nagar here.

Crime Branch ADG SK Upadhaya elaborated on the various measures taken up by the police for safety and security of senior citizens. He requested senior citizens to remain alert so that they are not duped by criminals easily.

Freedom fighter Bhawani Charan Patnaik was felicitated for his services to the society on the occasion. Patnaik spoke about the role of younger generation to ameliorate the living conditions of senior citizens in the society.

HelpAge India State Head Bharati Chakra discussed the objective of the day and presented the study, ‘Elder Abuse in India Report -2018’, which clearly indicated that elders were being abused, mostly by their sons.

She also mentioned that with advancement of technology, elders are feeling lonely and disrespected, while the youngsters are busy on their mobile phones even at home.

Senior journalist Sandip Sahu discussed how people active on social media are celebrating different days and at the same time fail to pay attention to own parents at home.

In the open house discussion, the senior citizens present at the meeting put forth their views and opinions on safety and security of the elderly in the state.