From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Oct 1: The State Government will be increasing the maintenance grant for old age homes in Karnataka to Rs 15 lakh from the present Rs 8 lakh, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday.
Participating in the World Senior Citizens Day Celebrations organised by the Physically Challenged and Senior Citizens Empowerment Department in Bengaluru, he said the Union Government has fixed a grant of Rs 25 lakh per annum for maintenance of old age homes and the grant from the State Government will be increased to Rs 15 lakh.
The Chief Minister also launched the National Senior Citizens helpline and felicitated some of the senior citizens.
Bommai said old age is a stage in the lives of all human being and everybody can contribute through their experience and knowledge. The State Government responds to the needs and takes steps to ensure that their life becomes easier and happy and has been implementing several programmes for their welfare, he said.
The State Government wants to make the life of 54 lakh senior citizens in Karnataka happy and healthy without worries, he said pointing out that the experience and knowledge of the elders must be utilised properly.
Union Minister of State Narayanaswamy, Water Resources Minister Govind M Karjol and Senior Citizens Empowerment Minister Halappa Achar, legislators Uday Garudachar and Poornima Srinivas and other senior officials attended the programme.
Stress on protecting data, programmes in e-administration
The Chief Minister asked the administration to give priority for protecting and ensuring the safety of data and programmes in the e-administration and asked the officials to ensure that the privacy and safety of the data of citizens utilising the e-administration services must be protected.
Reviewing the performance of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (e-administration), he appreciated the agricultural department’s initiatives enabling the benefits of government programmes reaching the beneficiaries, especially the fruits and crop insurance schemes and other programmes.
Bommai stressed the need for strengthening the human resources component of DPAR and solving the technical glitches in the e-administration even at the district level.
He said the State Government would be establishing service centres in each of the grama panchayats to provide all services and a scheme would be launched on the coming Republic Day and suggested that the service centres must be established on the basis of the population figures.
Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner Vanditha Sharma, Finance Department Additional Chief Secretary I S N Prasad and other senior officials were present.
Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal Chairman R B Boodihal called on the Chief Minister and held separate discussions.
Earlier, Basava Jaya Mrithyunjaya Swamiji called on the Chief Minister at his residence and honoured the Chief Minister with a shawl.