Eight lakh senior citizens in Himachal, number likely to rise by 19-20 pc by 2036: HelpAge India

SHimla, thither ar nearly octonary lakh senior citizens in Himachal Pradesh and the list is expected to increase by 19-20 per cent by 2036 for which strengthening of geriatric wards in the district hospitals is strongly recommended, HelpAge India, a non-profit organisation, said on Wednesday. “We have moved from the joint family system to nuclear families. A chapter on senior citizens should be included in school curriculum to instil values among children,” Rajesh Kumar, the state head of HelpAger India, told PTI Videos on International Day for Older Persons. Issues such as mental health and loneliness would increase in the elderly population as the average age is rising, while mobile health units and committee-based care giving programmes would become significant in the rural areas, especially as young people are migrating to urban areas in search of employment with their parents living in the villages, Kumar said. “There are about eight lakh senior citizens in the state and the number is expected to increase by 19-20 per cent by 2036, for which strengthening of geriatric wards in the district hospitals is strongly recommended,” said Kumar, who also advocated for a universal pension of ₹2,000 per month for senior citizens living in rural areas. HelpAge India, the social justice and empowerment department of the state government, and a few other organisations are collectively making a pool of caregivers, Kumar informed. “The state policy for older persons has already been notified and needs to be implemented. We have requested the chief minister for the same as a state policy for senior citizens would go a long way in helping the cause,” Kumar said. Earlier, presiding over a state-level function on the theme 'International Day for Older Persons-2025' at The Ridge, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said a ‘Rogi Mitra Yojana’ would be launched for regular health check-up of senior citizens in near future. The state government is providing social security pensions between ₹1,000 and ₹1,700 per month to 6,71,754 eligible senior citizens, an official statement said. A 'Sukh Aashray Parisar' is being constructed at Jwalamukhi in Kangra district at an estimated cost of ₹100 crore, where senior citizens would be provided all the necessary facilities to make them feel at home, it said. Marking the occasion, Sukhu honoured senior citizens for their outstanding contributions and also flagged off a cycle rally and a Walkathon. The chief minister also visited an exhibition where various women self-help groups set up stalls. The programme also featured a ramp walk by senior citizens aged between 60 and 82. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.