Summary of this article
Delhi notifies Vayo Anand Scheme with Rs 2.4 lakh annual grant.
Registered senior centres with 200+ members are eligible.
Funds support center operations, equipment, and activities.
The Delhi government has formally notified the Vayo Anand Scheme for the elderly in the city. The Department of Social Welfare in Delhi published a gazette notification dated September 17 regarding this. Under the scheme, the state government will provide an annual grant of Rs 2.4 lakh to eligible recreation centres to support them in managing operational expenses and organising activities for senior citizens.
The eligible centres or organisations include those registered under the Society Registration Act, 1860 and which are maintaining senior citizen-focused recreation centres and providing avenues of social activities, engagement, and relaxation for seniors. The eligible recreation centre must maintain at least 200 members aged 60 and above. Importantly, these seniors can belong only to one recreation centre under the scheme.
The financial assistance covers recurring operational requirements and physical infrastructure. According to the notification, funds can be used for paying property rent, sanitation staff, water dispensers, chairs and tables, carpets, mats, fans, coolers, computers, televisions, projectors, and Wi-Fi. The fund can also be used for newspapers, refreshments, medical camps, first-aid kits, and indoor games for elderly visitors.
The scheme also encourages creative and physical activities and intergenerational activities. The centres can organise yoga and meditation classes, health camps, painting, pottery and crafts classes, nutrition counselling, outdoor tours, and outdoor games. To enhance intergenerational engagement, storytelling sessions can be arranged where senior citizens, schoolchildren, and children living in institutional homes managed by government or non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can spend time together.
As per the scheme, these centres are required to organise at least 5-6 such events every year, including a mandatory observance of International Day of Yoga, the International Day for Older Persons, and the National Day for Senior Citizens. These centres must also organise national and religious festivals, tree plantation drives, and retirement and other psychological counselling.
Geographically, the recreation centres must be within the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi and function from a community space, whether government or private. It could be a premises owned or rented by Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), Cooperative Group Housing Societies (CGHSs), or Chaupals.
The centres operating from independent households are excluded. To get permission for using an area for this purpose, a recommendation from a member of the legislative authority (MLA) of that area will be required. The recreation centres must form a committee to manage their operations and make decisions, and it must comprise five members, including at least one female and one transgender member.
The committee will be responsible for maintaining records, managing official correspondence, and submitting documents to the Social Welfare Department.
The grant will be given on a half-yearly basis. The first instalment will be released based on the annual inspection report by the District Social Welfare Officer. The second instalment will be given only after the centre's Management Committee issues a Utilisation Certificate and the responsible officer verifies it.
