The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing the ‘Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)’ program with the aim of providing elderly people with age-related disabilities/infirmities with assisted living devices that can restore an almost normality in their bodily functions, overcoming the manifested disabilities/infirmities such as low vision, hearing loss, loss of teeth and locomotor disabilities.
The funds are released to the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO), a public sector enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, as the sole implementing agency for the scheme.
The scheme was launched on 01.04.2017 to provide physical aids and assisted living devices to elderly people belonging to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category. The scheme was revised in the 2020-21 year. After the review, the assisted living devices are provided to the elderly belonging to the GLP category and also to the elderly with monthly income not exceeding Rs.15000/-.
All districts in the country have been selected to implement the RVY. The scheme is implemented in two phases in the districts:
- Field of Evaluation: In the field of evaluation, ALIMCO identifies beneficiaries, affected by age-related disability/infirmity, for the necessary aids and appliances.
- Distribution camp: aids and appliances are provided to beneficiaries identified after the evaluation camp.
This information was given by State Minister for Social Justice and Emancipation Ministry Sushri Pratima Bhoumik in a written response to Lok Sabha today.
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MG/PD
