Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday announced concession of 50 per cent in fares of Haryana Roadways buses to elderly persons of the state above the age of 65 years from January 1, 2014.
Elderly women above 60 years of age have been availing this facility in the state.
Addressing a state-level function for elders organised on the occasion of international day of elderly persons at Karnal, Hooda announced a programme for giving additional nutrition to women above 50 years to remove the deficiency of calcium in them.
A new scheme would be framed for maintaining the health of elders and freedom fighters, he said adding, a new helpline number would be started to provide social security to elders.
The Chief Minister directed the Principal Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment Department, P K Das, to make this helpline number functional immediately.
Hooda said, under the Old Age Pension scheme, 13.13 lakh elderly people in the state were being given annual pension of Rs 1,036 crore. Taking a dig at the erstwhile INLD-BJP government, he said in their entire tenure of six years from 1999 to 2005, only nine lakh people were given old age allowance at the rate of Rs 200 per month, whereas the present government has increased this amount to Rs 750.
Comparing the pension given to freedom fighters in Haryana with that of Gujarat, Hooda said freedom fighters in his state were given monthly pension of Rs 20,000, whereas it is only Rs 6,000 in the BJP-ruled state.
The Chief Minister said, for ensuring shelter, food and social security of elderly people, old age homes were being set up at Hisar, Sonipat, Rohtak and Kaithal. Hooda claimed, Haryana was the first state to implement the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.
Under this Act, the rights of elders have been safeguarded and for this, Appellate Tribunal officers have been appointed.
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