The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday directed the State Government to ensure that 102-year old Ved Narayan Gaud, the oldest man in Ranchi, lays the foundation stone of the proposed 50-bedded new Old Age Home on August 15. It has to be constructed on one acre of land in Chiraundi.
The Old Age Home is being constructed by the State Government under “Jharkhand Maintenance of Parents and Senior Citizens Rules, 2013.”
The court was hearing a PIl concerning welfare of the parents and seniors in the present society raised by “Jharkhand Senior Citizen Advocates Service Sansthan” through its President Advocate CD Singh, requesting the State Government to take immediate steps for establishing “Old Age Homes” in each district of the State. The petition also pleaded to ensure other medical facilities required for the senior citizens like free beds and separate queues in hospitals along with the facility for treatment of chronic, terminal and degenerative diseases etc.
Earlier, the State counsel submitted before the court that decks for the construction of Old Age Home has been cleared after getting approval from the Planning and Empowerment Committee of the State Government and has been sent for further approval of Chief Minister Raghubar Das. “Das through a telephonic conversation has already given his consent to the same,” said State Counsel Rishi Pallav.
He further stated that the State is spending Rs 3,82, 52,500 on Old Age Home. “Initially, the plan is for constructing 50-bed Old Age Home, with a provision for 50 beds more in the second phase,” Pallav added.
The Old Age Home will be equipped with a lift and other ultra modern facilities in it. There is a provision of separate closet with each of the beds also having one Doctor’s room on each of the floors with an arrangement of admitting two patients at a time in it.
After Ranchi, similar Old Age Homes will also be constructed also in Bokaro, Deoghar, Dhanbad and Jamshedpur.