Vol- 2 Issue - 2 April to June 2012 t".1IJrr!"e cf.,state.r~ ~"l ~ ES '" Defence Estates News IDES Newsletter '1~letterE "Special Issue on Old Age Home for Senior Citizens" IDES: A Service that finds 'Gold ' in Old - Editorial .... 2 Speciailnitiatives for Senior Citizens ~ AU & RC : A well planned Milestone Dehradun Cantt 3 Fatehgarh Cantt of IDES ...8 Shahjahanpur Cantt 4 Mathura Cantt ~pna Ghar' - Child Care Centre: A Ahmednagar Cantt 4 Jhansi Cantt bold step by Babina Cantt Board ...10 Belgaum Cantt 5 Lucknow Cantt Faizabad Cantt ... 7 IDES: A Service that finds 'Gold' in Old 'Old' as the proverb goes is 'Gold'. Old and aged people are the real assets of society. They have worked hard for the development of the country all their lives and have a vast experience in every walk of life. At this stage of their life, these Senior Citizens need to be taken care of to make them feel special. Unfortunately, for the Senior Citizens, no special respect or treatment is extended in our society. Though traditionally we are known for better treatment to the old and aged ones throughout the globe, Senior Citizens are very often treated as burden in the family, an appendage forthe society. IDES as a service is committed to provide better CIVIC amenities in the Cantonments. Under the kind and able guidance of our Director General, Shri Ashok Kumar Harnal, the Chief Executive Officers of the Cantonment Boards throughout the country have taken up the cause of the old, aged and destitute people in the Cantonments and adjoining areas. With the initiatives of these IDESOfficers, Lucknow and Faizabad Cantonment Boards have set up Old Age Home. Dehradun, Shahjahanpur, Mathura, Fatehgarh and Ahmednagar Cantonment Boards have started Day Care Centre for the Senior Citizens. Jhansi Cantonment Board has set up a Reading Room with all other facilities for the Senior Citizens. Belgaum Cantonment Board is actively assisting a private home for destitute Senior Citizens. Kanpur Cantonment Board is all set to open an Old Age Home / Day Care Centre in near future. Free medical check up and free medicines are being provided to the Senior Citizens in a number of Cantonments. All these efforts are ushering in a silent golden revolution in Cantonment Administration. In the words of W. Somerset Maugham 'the beauty of the morning and the radiance of noon are good, but it would be a very silly person who drew the curtains and turned on the light in orderto shut out the tranquillity of the evening. Old age has its pleasures, which, though different, are not less than the pleasures of youth.' Let us help Senior Citizens of Cantonments feel the pleasure of being old. Let them feel that they are really special and letthe message go that we really treat the Old as Gold. Page 2 I 0 e fen c e Est ate s New s DAY CARE CENTRE FOR OLD AT DEHRADUN CANTONMENT Shri D. Madhukar Naik, CEO,Dehradun Cantonment Board took a leading role in establishing Swabhiman Kendra - a multi-purpose Day Care Centre & Recreation Centre for Senior Citizens at Dehradun Cantonment. This ambitious and innovative project of Dehradun Cantonment Board provides comprehensive facilities for the older persons - ranging from- diet, nutrition & fitness, recreational area, computer rooms and library, dining halls etc. The Centre was inaugurated on zs: September 2011 by Shri Ashok Kumar Hamal, Director General, Defence Estates, Ministry of Defence in presence of the Guest of Honour Shri Ravi Kant Chopra, Principal Director, Defence Estates, Central Command, Lucknow. Over 300 eminent personalities & elderly persons attended this function. Approx. 428 members have been enrolled sofar in the Centre. All the registered members have been given Identity Card. Anugraha, an NGO and a nodal agency on age care working under aegis of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment GOI, is providing entire program design planning, implementation of activities, communitv : mobilization programme, daily monitoring etc. The facilities which are being provided to the Senior Citizens include Health services, Consultation Religious discourse & Spiritual Programmes, Computer room for E - learning, Library & reading room, provision of radio and television Police/ legal aid helpline, arrangement for indoor games, Music room/ satsang place, Individual counseling on emotional and interpersonal problems, information dissemination on Government schemes meant for the elderly persons. A qualified team of experts & gerontologists are working for the empowerment of older persons, giving attention to the protection of their rights, their participation in society and the promotion of a positive image of ageing. The Senior Citizen members are provided tea & biscuits every day. Periodical outings / picnics/ pilgrimages, special lectures, sports events, etc. are also being organized. Defence Estates News Page 3 Under the initiatives of Shri M. P. R. Tripatni, CEO, Shahjahanpur Cantonment Board has started a Day Care Centre for the Senior Citizens. The Centre was inaugurated on so: March 2012. The Board is providing various recreation facilities like T. v., News Papers, Magazines etc. for the Senior Citizens of the Centre along with the provision of indoor games like Carrom, Chess, Cards etc. As many as 25 Senior Citizens are visiting the Centre every day. They are taught Yoga and other exercises at the Centre. Medical facilities are provided by Cantonment Physician as and when required. Soft drinks with light snacks are served by an NGO. The Board is planning to construct more rooms to facilitate Senior Citizens at the Centre. Ms. Meenakshi, the then CEO,has taken initiatives to open a recreation Centre for the old at Ahmednagar Cantonment. Total number of Senior Citizens at the Centre is 350. The Board has proposed to develop the Centre out of M.L.A. Fund. Proposal for the same has already been floated to the District Planning Officer, Ahmednagar. There is provtston of cemented benches and ceiling fans at the Centre. A Television set has been donated by the local branch of Bank of Maharashtra. The Board is running a public library adjacent to the Centre and the facility is fully availed by the Senior Citizens. Most of the Senior Citizens are retired and belong to below the poverty line. Free medical check up is being conducted to the Senior Citizens at the Centre and free medicines are distributed as and when required by the Cantonment General Hospital. Page4 o e fen c e Est ate s N e ,,,.,,..'<._,,,;' [ HOME FOR DESTITUTE SENIOR CITIZEN (WOMEN) AT BELGAUM CANTONMENT) St. Joseph's Home for the Senior Citizens (women) is run by the st. Vincent De Paul Society at Belgaum Cantonment. It was established in the year 1856. The Home was reconstructed and opened on is: August 1968 by Rt. Rev. Dr. Ignatius Lobo, Late Bishop of Belgaum. The Home runs on charity. It caters to all castes and creed in and around Belgaum. With the initiatives of Shri Vijay Rajak, the then CEO, Belgaum Cantonment Board has taken up the cause of the inmates of the Home. Free medical check up of the old women of the Home is being conducted by the Cantonment Board regularly and free medicines are being distributed as and when required. Facilityfor free 24 hours ambulance service is being provided to the Home. The Board is planning to provide Aqua Guard, fans and other electrical equipments to the Home. [ DAY CARE CENTRE FOR OLD AT FATEHGARH CANTONMENT Shri M. P. R. Ttipathi. the then CEO, Fatehgarh Cantonment Board had taken all the initiatives to start a Day Care Centre for the Senior Citizens at Fatehgarh Cantonment. The Centre was inaugurated on zs: March 2012 by Brig. D. Andu, President Cantonment Board. The Board is providing all the recreation facilities to Senior Citizens i.e. T. \/., News Papers, Magazines etc. at the Centre along with provision of indoor games like Carrom, Around 20 Senior Citizens are visiting the Centre regularly. Regular medical facilities are being provided at the Centre by Cantonment Physician of the Board. Soft drinks with light snacks are also being provided through an NGO. In the future, the Board plans to add more rooms to facilitate Senior Citizens and start Yoga and other exercises at the Centre. Defence Estates News I PageS ------~ DAY CARE CENTRE FOR OLD AT MATHURA CANTONMENT Under the able guidance of Shri A. R. Nayak, CEO, Mathura Cantonment Board has started a Day Care Centre for old on 29th September, 2011 in the Krishna Bal Vatika Garden. Senior Citizens are taught Yoga dailyfrom morning 5.15 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. atthe Centre. A library with news papers and magazines has been provided. A LCD TV has also been provided to the Centre duly sponsored by local branch of Union Bank of India. There is provision of indoor games like Carrom, Cards etc. at the Centre. The Senior Citizens used to make full utilization of the benefits by doing Yoga, walking and chit-chatting in the Centre and is very active in the morning hours of the day. Cantonment Board elected members have contributed Rs. 2,000/- each for the Centre. The Cantonment Board dispensary situated near the Centre provides free medical facilities to the Senior Citizens. 15No. of Senior Citizens are registered at the Centre. ~" . "'%R'V >' ~ READING ROOM FOR SENIOR ~HANSlrCANTONMENT j~ib q~y6 Under the initiatives of Shri Harendra Singh, CEO, Jhansi Cantonment Board has come up with a new social venture by developing a well-furnished Reading Room for the Senior Citizens. The Reading Room is situated inside a beautiful park surrounded by natural beauty and greenery all over. The Reading Room is open to all the Senior Citizens in the morning hours from 5 a.m.