Ministry to launch welfare programme for senior citizens
Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education is taking steps to work out an ambitious project for welfare of senior citizens to allay their sense of isolation and deprivation.
As part of such efforts, a source in the ministry said Thursday that a national seminar on Tuesday was held to thrash out effective recommendations to fully capitalize on the project.
The source added prime minister was also very eager to evolve such plan of action for benefit of elderly people.
The source said the ministry had accelerated its efforts to prepare the project while taking other relevant ministries such as Ministry of Population Welfare on board to effectively extend blessings of the programme to the targeted persons.
The added that the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) would be carrying out registration process of the beneficiaries that were about 4.3 million including 2.3 women in the country.
He said the each registered elderly person would receive a stipend of Rs 1,000 in a month in addition to other facilities under the project.
He said that a resource centre, equipped with basic facilities, would be built at each union council level to share their thoughts with other fellows which would had positive effects on their personality.
Answering a question, the source said growing sense ofinsolation was one of the main driving force to launch such programme.
The source said in several other countries, retired persons were regarded what he described as “think-tank” to contribute in national prosperity.
Thus, the added legal measures were necessary for revival of such social status to the country’s aging population, as well.
“These (elderly) persons have experience in different fields, there should be a list of them to utilize their life-long experience, if needed, for the development of the country”, the source observed.
The source said that Rs 23 billion would be required for one year if each elderly person, according to the available data, was given the proposed stipend per month.