New Delhi: Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), housing societies and organisations working for senior citizens can now apply for financial assistance under Delhi govt’s Vayo Anand scheme, following its notification in the Delhi Gazette.The social welfare department has opened the application process to support senior citizen recreation centres and meet their day-to-day expenses.The annual grant can be used to pay rent and sanitation staff, and purchase essentials such as chairs, tables, fans, carpets, water dispensers and projectors. Expenses on Wi-Fi and cable television are also covered. The scheme aims to provide senior citizens with space for social interaction, recreation and fitness.“To qualify, an organisation must be registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and its recreation centre must have at least 200 members aged 60 years or above. The centre must be located in Delhi and operate from a govt or private community space. Centres run from independent households will not qualify,” a senior govt official said.The scheme covers community spaces owned or rented by RWAs and cooperative group housing societies, as well as common spaces such as chaupals. Applications must be submitted in the prescribed format by the organisation’s management committee or RWA board, with a recommendation from the local MLA.Apart from providing basic facilities, centres must organise yoga and meditation sessions, health and fitness camps, outdoor trips, indoor and outdoor games, and activities such as painting, crafts and pottery. Nutrition counselling is also part of the prescribed programme.The centres must also hold storytelling sessions involving schoolchildren and children from institutional homes run by govt or NGOs. Activities marking International Yoga Day, International Day for Older Persons and National Day for Senior Citizens, besides national and religious festivals and tree plantation drives, are part of the prescribed programme. Retirement and bereavement counselling must be included, with each centre expected to organise at least five to six events annually.Each centre must also constitute a five-member management committee comprising senior citizens, including at least one woman and one transgender person. The committee will liaise with the department, maintain records and ensure submission of the required documents.The grant will be released in two equal instalments annually. The first will be based on the annual inspection report of the district social welfare officer, while the second will follow submission of a utilisation certificate certified by the management committee and verified by the officer.
