President Murmu virtually inaugurates home for senior citizens in Vellore

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday has virtually inaugurated a home for senior citizens, who are mostly women, at Ariyur village on the outskirts of Vellore Corporation limits. Vellore Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi is also seen.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday virtually inaugurated a home for senior citizens, who are mostly women, at Ariyur village on the outskirts of Vellore Corporation limits.

Accompanied by senior officials of Department of Social Welfare, Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi inspected the new home, which is maintained by Organisation for Rural Development (ORD), a local NGO that works for aged people and children in the region. “It is the first such facility in the district where the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has given funding. Such funding helps to provide better facilities to inmates,” R. Uma, District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO), told The Hindu.

Spread over two acres, the new home is spacious for inmates with a large dining hall, living room, and a library. Around 50 inmates are taken care of at the home. Most of them are in their 60s. The home has a capacity to accommodate at least 70 persons at a time.

Officials said that the home has been selected under the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC) for better upkeep of the facility including providing timely healthcare to its inmates. The scheme provides grants to NGOs and other organizations to implement programs that cater to the basic needs of the elderly, including food, shelter, healthcare, and intergenerational bonding.

At present, officials said that 11 homes for senior citizens including those run by the State government are located in Vellore. On an average, around 60 persons are accommodated in each home. Apart from shelter, food, healthcare and initiatives to lead a normal life are provided in the home. Collector and social welfare officials conduct surprise checks at these facilities including those run by NGOs regularly and interact with senior citizens.