THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has given administrative sanction for Rs 4.49 crore to build apartments and dormitories on the top floor of Government Care home at Pulayanarkotta here to provide shelter to elderly couples.
It is for the first time that a care home has been set up to lodge elderly couples. At present, couples are lodged in separate facilities. As many as 20 studio apartments with an area of 17.6 sqm each and three dormitories are being built.
The construction work will be carried out by the Kerala State Construction Corporation from the annual budgetary allocation. The work is expected to be completed in a year.Social Justice Minister K K Shailaja said the aim of the government was to convert the care home into a model care home. She said a number of welfare programmes are being implemented for the elderly under the ‘Saayamprabha’ scheme. Facilities to practice yoga, a library and vocational training centre will also come up at the care home.