A Note on budget of MOSJE - allocation for PD and Senior Citizens

A Note on budget of MOSJE – allocation for PD and senior citizens

Total Annual budget allotment for MOSJE 2500 Crores

Budget for Disabled &SrCit -> 9.3% --> 232.5 Crores

Expenditure on SrCit -->

       OAP 16 crores (not from MOsje budget)

       Integrated Program 10.36 (out of budgeted 22 crores)

Total --> say 27 crores ; This works out to  less than 10% of Disabled + SrCit Budget and constitutes  about 1% of ministry's budget. 

Population: Senior Citizens 60+ --> 7.7 crores out of total 102.9 crores

                  Disabled --> 2.19 cr out of 102.9 cr

 ===

MOSJE Budget & Expenditure 2010-11 on PD &Sr Citizens

Total Mosje Budget for 2010-11 --  Rs 4300 crores

Disabled			Senior Citizens
% of population	% of expenditure Of total budget		% of population	% of expenditure of total budget
2.19% (2.2 cr)		8.71%	7.5% (7.7 cr)		1.69%

Mosje spends 8.71% of its budget on Disabled welfare who are just 2.19% of  total population while  it spends only 1.69% of its budget on senior citizens who form 7.5% of population.  Partisan and neglectful attitude towards senior citizens can’t be exposed better.

Can you compare the figures for latest years?

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana

This is a scheme whereby the Ministry of Social Justice distributes assistive devices to disabled senior citizens in camps organised for this purpose. Please read some info from the ministry published recently.

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, Shri Gehlot said that this new Central sector scheme has been formulated in pursuance of the Budget 2015-16 announcement and is 100% funded by the Central government. This scheme aims at providing Senior citizens, belonging to BPL category and suffering from any of the age related disability/infirmity viz. Low vision, Hearing impairment, Loss of teeth and locomotor disability, with such assisted-living devices which can restore near normalcy in their bodily functions, overcoming the disability/infirmity manifested. This scheme first of its kind in the country, is expected to benefit 5,20,000 senior citizens over a period of three years. These devices will distributed free of cost in Camp mode. It will be launched on 1st April, 2017 in District Nellore in Andhra Pradesh followed by on 8th April, 2017 in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. 

My observation on the above: MOSJE has always been  partial in its dealings with senior citizens and disabled persons. They allocate and spend money disproportionate to the population of these two sections under ministry control. See my note here made some years ago. This disparity and injustice continues.

Ministry on its own has scheme for distributing assistive devises to the disabled. That work being done for senior citizens among the disabled is now getting highlighted as if some great benefit is extended to seniors. It helps only disabled and only those in BPL category and that too distributed over many years. Even in initial three year period not even a third of disabled senior citizens will be covered. If the ministry is serious about it, why not distribute assistive devices to all disabled senior citizens in one year -- through state govt departments, instead of several camps over many years?

Do you agree? Please share your views.

How much does MOSJE care for Senior Citizens?

How much does MOSJE care for senior Citizens?

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, MOSJE as it is known, is responsible for the welfare of senior citizens in our country. Older Persons are only one of the many areas of this ministry’s concern. Naturally, Senior citizens are given a raw deal when compared to subjects like welfare and protection of backward classes, Tribal welfare, Alcohol and drug abuse, Disabled persons etc. The treatment meted out to the elderly population who constitute nearly 10% of the present population is might bad and appalling. Take a look at this boxed info:

During 2010-11 MOSJE spent out of a total budget of Rs 4300 crores, 8.71% of its budget on 2.19 of population (disabled) as against 1.69% of its budget on 7.5% of population (senior Citizens).

That is where we stand in the eyes of MOSJE. Data for earlier years is not any better. This kind of discrimination and injustice must be fought united by all who are affected, that is, senior citizens themselves. Starting from 2010, consecutively for the past three years, AISCCON has observed 16^th August every year, what is known as “Senior Citizens National Protest Day”. As a result of “chest beating” for many years, MOSJE, at last appears to have started listening to our problems.

Appended is a table giving details ofbudget and expenditure of MOSJE. It gives total allotment for 12^th five year plan, Estimated budget, revised budget and actual expenditure, Budget allocation for 2012-13, and lastly budget allocation for 2013-14. There is a semblance of allocation of funds for seniors’ welfare. Let us examine the particulars.

Consider the allocation on various items of concern for older persons for 2013-14, total provision in 12^th plan and pro-rate annual and how MOSJE is faring:

SN	Item	2013-14	Pro-rata Annual	Entire 12th Plan	Remarks
1	OAH	NIL	NIL	NIL	Disappointing
2	Helpline at National Level	5	0.4	2	V Good
3	Helplines district level	2	3.6	18	Less
4	NCSC	2	7	70	Far less
5	National Trust	2	7	70	Far less
6	NPOP	2	3	15	OK
7	IPOP	2	3	15	OK
8	MWPSCA	2	5	50	Far less
9	IPOP	4.5	88	440	Abysmally low

This in itself is somewhat encouraging, though much more is expected. Considering the annual plan of action – to be discussed in another post shortly – we can confidently hope that MOSJE is turning a leaf and we are in for good times. Let us wait and see.