KOCHI: Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Saturday said that the Central government is willing to open one old-age home in every district with the cooperation of NGOs. So far, 1,658 old-age homes have been established across the country.
Nine such homes have been established in Kerala, he told reporters in Kochi on Saturday. The minister encouraged NGOs in the state to apply online for the establishment of more old-age homes in the state.
Speaking about development programmes, he said that schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana, Mudra, Ujjwalla, Ayushman Bharat, and PM Awas Yojana have helped improve the lives of people in India.
“In Kerala, under the Jan Dhan Yojana, 53,62,000 bank accounts have been opened, while 1,26,00,000 youths have been given loans under the Mudra Loan scheme. Also, 3,41,000 people have benefited from Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, and 1,13,000 houses have been constructed in urban areas in the state through Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana,” he said, adding that his department aims to eliminate the caste system and promote economic equality in society.
“The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is implementing many schemes for the welfare of all sections of society irrespective of caste and religion. The Union government is keen on implementing these development schemes,” he added.