KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 23

The federal government is set to establish and operate senior citizens' meeting centres in partnership with the local levels as per the annual programme of fiscal 2021-22.

According to a notice published by the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, this programme will be carried out in accordance with the 'Criteria for Selection of Local Levels to Establish and Operate Senior Citizens' Meeting Centre-2019'. It informed that proposals were solicited from the local levels interested in partnering with the federal government to establish and operate the centre.

The MoWCSC said any local level may submit proposal to Senior Citizen Protection Centre at the ministry by mid-January 2022.

The proposal should be accompanied by the documents related to commitment of the concerned local level to invest in the establishment of the centre, details of land acquisition for construction work, detailed project report and detailed cost estimate, and resource managed for the operation and continuity thereof.

The MoWCSC said maximum Rs 200,000 in grant may be provided to each local level for the establishment and operation of senior citizens' meeting centre on the basis of selected proposals.

The senior citizens' meeting centres will be utilised for inter-generational transfer of knowledge, skills and experience gained by senior citizens in their lifetime.

The MoWCSC said the centre would be operated at all local levels gradually. As per the criteria, the location of the centre should be accessible to vehicles, ambulances and fire brigade services, along with electricity supply, water and telephone. Similarly, hospital or health facility and holy sites such as temples and rivers should be in the periphery of five kilometres as far as possible.

The centre must have literary and religious books and good arrangement for performing devotional songs and playing musical instruments. Furthermore, the centre should be equipped with furniture, carpet, television, heater, fan and indoor games, besides the facilities of mid-day meal, safe drinking water, emergency health care services and medicines.

A version of this article appears in the print on December 24, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.