Senior citizens centre among six initiatives of president

President Pranab Mukherjee will over the next two days inaugurate a number of initiatives, including a gathering place for senior citizens of his estate where they can avail of free health checkups, a statement said.

A new ceremonial hall for hosting important ceremonial events is also to be inaugurated.

On Thursday, the president who is always thinking of innovative ways to make the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the President's Estate more people-friendly, will inaugurate five initiatives.

He will inaugurate 'Samagama', a community initiative for senior citizens residing in the President's Estate that will offer a place for all senior citizens to gather together daily and have free health check-ups, participate in recreation activities, etc.

The second initiative he will launch is an Electronic Art Catalogue titled 'Art Heritage of Rashtrapati Bhavan: A Selection'. The Electronic Art Catalogue containing over 113 high quality photographs of paintings and select art objects in the collection of Rashtrapati Bhavan will be added to the President of India website.

Through this initiative, the Rashtrapati Bhavan is opening to people from across the world for the first time a cross section of the entire art collection of Rashtrapati Bhavan, said an official statement from the President's House.

He would also launch a Financial Literacy Festival and a Literacy Centre and well as a Financial Library at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in the President's Estate.

Students of the Sarvodaya Vidyalaya as well as residents of the estate will be trained in financial literacy using dummy banking and literacy classes conducted by the State Bank of India at the Financial Literacy Centre.

The National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) will create a Financial Library where resources will be available to sustain interest of students and teachers. RuPay will give Rs.25 credit to each student through Dummy cards to buy books during the festival. Financial games, quizzes and other activities will also be organized for students, children and parents, said the statement.

Mukherjee will also lay the foundation stone for the President's Estate Housing Complex near Dr. RML Hospital comprising Type II/III houses for staff. This complex will comprise two 10-storey residential towers of a total of 72 houses.

The president will also launch the green move of RB Cycle initiative aimed at reducing the use of motorized vehicles within the President's Estate. Under this, 50 cycles will be made available at four locations in the estate to promote fitness and health amongst residents of the estate and to create awareness about environment issues.

Mukherjee will Friday inaugurate the new Ceremonial Hall for hosting important ceremonial events.

The Hall will form part of an integrated Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Center with an Art Gallery, multi-purpose halls and auditorium. Built as an extension of the existing auditorium, the 55m x 41m Ceremonial Hall has been built keeping in mind the requirements of the Aug 15 'At Home' Receptions and 'Guards of Honour' for visiting foreign dignitaries during inclement weather. Construction of the Hall, whose foundation stone was laid Dec 18, 2013 has been completed within a year, the statement said.