Funds meant for welfare of elderly remain unspent
About Rs 7.4 crore out of the Rs 8.79 crore allotted was not spent
By : arjun raghunath
Update: 2014-10-07 05:40 GMT
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The funds allotted by the centre for the health programme of the elderly remain unspent. About Rs 7.4 crore out of the Rs 8.79 crore allotted to the state under the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE) was not spent with a utilisation of only around 15 percent.
The scenario in all other states is also grim, with only Rs 40 crore of the Rs 155 crore allotted utlilised and around Rs 115 crore remaining unspent. Kerala can heave a sigh of relief as the unspent funds of many other states are much higher. For instance, UP spent nothing out of the Rs 18.55 crore allotted and Andhra Pradesh utilised only Rs 1.37 lakh out of nearly Rs 15 crore, according to the data provided by the union health and family welfare department.
The NPHCE was launched in 2010. “The funds for the welfare of elderly remain unutilised even as the population of elderly is increasing. It is estimated that the percentage of senior citizens in the state could touch 20 percent by 2026 from around 13 percent at present,” said activist D. B. Binu, who obtained the data.
A report of the state social justice department also says that only a meagre portion of the funds earmarked by the state during the previous years was spent. Out of Rs 1.89 crore earmarked in 2012, only Rs 5.65 lakh was spent and in 2011 only Rs 7.4 lakh was spent out of Rs 1.5 crore allotted, said the report.
The union health department report also says that though Kerala government was supposed to provide Rs 2.2 crore under NPHCE, only Rs 1.02 crore was contributed. The unspent amount of Rs 7.4 crore allotted by the centre was not even refunded.