Outcome budget: Delhi govt yet to realise target of building 8 old age homes

The Delhi government has almost completed the construction of an old age home and begun the work for another till December 2018 against the target of building eight old age homes in the city, according to the Delhi government's Outcome Budget 2018-19.

The Outcome Budget 2018-19 was presented by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the Delhi Assembly Monday.

The report also said over four lakh senior citizens were provided monthly old age pensions till December 2018, an increase of 1.36 per cent from 2017-18.

It said old age pensions in the national capital were the "highest" in the country, with an increase in number of beneficiaries and pension amount.

The old age pension was disbursed to about 4.42 lakh senior citizens till December 2018 against about 4.38 lakh in 2017-18, the report said.

Senior citizens in the age group of 60-69 years are provided Rs 2,000 as pension against Rs 1,000 before 2017, while those above 70 years get Rs 2,500 as pension.

"Old age pension is the combined responsibility of the state and central government. In Delhi, the contribution of the state is the highest as compared to all the states in India, at Rs 1,800, it is 90 per cent of the total entitlement," the report said.

It also said financial assistance was given to 82,339 people with special needs till December 2018 against about 76,263 people in 2017-18.

One-time financial assistance was given to 4,305 families of deceased breadwinners till December 2018 against 4,510 families in 2017-18.

A total of 108 recreation centres for senior citizens are functional till December 2018 against a target of 125 recreation centres, the report said.

The Outcome Budget 2018-19 also stated that 85 per cent of the 85 critical indicators under the Social Welfare Department were "on track".

The Delhi government has included 25 programmes or schemes run under the Social Welfare Department comprising 196 indicators out of which it has identified 85 critical indicators.

Similarly, the government has included 15 programmes/schemes in the SC/ST Department consisting of 116 indicators of which 66 were identified as critical indicators.

"Forty-two per cent of the critical indicators (under the SC/ST department) are on track," the report said.

Also, 3,735 students have been enrolled and eight coaching institutes have been empanelled under the Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojna till December 2018, it said.

The objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance to obtain quality coaching for economically disadvantaged Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates in order to prepare for competitive examinations.