The State government will carry out a census to determine the elderly population in Kerala and prepare a databank on senior citizens, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here on Monday.
The exercise would be undertaken on the lines of the disability census conducted in 2015, he told a meeting convened to review various welfare schemes by government departments.
Mr. Vijayan said the government was also planning to prepare a database on the functioning of orphanages and homes for the destitute and the elderly. The services of anganwadi workers would be utilised for the purpose.
Observing that many senior citizens were left out the ambit of welfare schemes because of the lack of awareness, Mr. Vijayan called for a campaign involving ward members, health inspectors, officials of the Social Justice department and Asha, anganwadi and Kudumbasree workers. The Social Justice department would open offices at the block level to provide grassroots-level services for senior citizens, and Vayomithram coordinators would be appointed.
The meeting issued directions to district Social Justice officers to visit orphanages, old-age homes and shelters for the destitute regularly and report on their functioning. The Vayomithram scheme, currently limited to inmates of government-run homes, would be extended to residents of other homes too.
Ministers R. Bindu, Veena George and M.B. Rajesh, Chief Secretary V. Venu and Principal Secretaries Sharmila Mary Joseph and Muhammed Hanish also attended the meeting.
