Government expands welfare schemes for senior citizens and persons with disabilities across North Eastern states

What happened (reported in Parliament)

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment reported expanded welfare implementation for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PwDs) across Assam and other North Eastern states through answers in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State Shri Ramdas Athawale. The reporting covered multiple scheme verticals for senior citizens (housing, nutrition, health, recreation; assistive devices; state-level action) and for PwDs (aids and appliances, scholarships, rights-implementation support, early intervention, insurance and rehabilitation infrastructure).

Senior citizen welfare schemes in the North East

Senior citizen welfare support under the Atal Vayo Abhyudaya Yojana (AVYAY) continues through the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC), which provides financial assistance for shelter, nutrition, healthcare and recreational facilities for indigent senior citizens. The government reported that Assam recorded over 1.03 lakh beneficiaries under IPSrC in the last five financial years, along with grant-in-aid support to Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura and other North Eastern states.

The government also reported use of the State Action Plan for Senior Citizens (SAPSrC) for state-led initiatives such as awareness generation, cataract surgeries and other welfare activities. The government stated that across the country, over ₹ 48 crore in cumulative assistance has been released under SAPSrC during the last five years, benefiting North Eastern states through various state-specific interventions.

For age-related disabilities, the government highlighted implementation of the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY). RVY provides free assistive living devices to senior citizens who belong to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families or have monthly income up to ₹15,000 and have age-related disabilities. The government reported that in the last five years, 73,572 senior citizens in the North Eastern region received 3,57,242 assistive devices worth ₹ 63.67 crores.