Mohali:
After more than a decade of legal struggle and sustained efforts by Deputy Mayor Kuljeet Singh Bedi, Mohali is set to receive a major social welfare boost with the approval for construction of a modern old age home. Following repeated hearings in the High Court, the Punjab Government has given the green signal to initiate the project, ending a 12-year wait.
Addressing a press conference, Deputy Mayor Bedi said the initiative, aimed at ensuring safety, dignity, and care of senior citizens, is now moving from legal pursuit to ground-level implementation. He termed it a major relief for elderly residents of the city, many of whom live alone as their children are settled abroad or in other cities.
Bedi informed that GMADA will provide three acres of land free of cost, on which a modern campus will be developed. The proposed old age home, modeled on the facility in Tapa Mandi, will have accommodation for around 150 senior citizens and offer a family-like environment.
The facility will include 24-hour ambulance service, emergency medical care, regular health check-ups, physiotherapy, free meals and ration, newspapers, recreational facilities, and a fully secured campus with surveillance systems.
Deputy Mayor Bedi said the project aligns with the 2007 Senior Citizens Welfare Act enacted under the Dr. Manmohan Singh-led government. He added that, as per affidavits submitted in the High Court, he has been consistently pursuing the establishment of old age homes across 21 districts of Punjab.
Calling it a victory for Mohali’s elderly, Bedi assured that he would closely monitor the project to ensure it is completed and made fully operational, not remaining limited to announcements.
Senior citizens and representatives of the Senior Citizens Association Mohali, including Brigadier Jagdev Singh and other prominent members, were present during the announcement. The project is expected to significantly strengthen Mohali’s social security infrastructure and ensure a dignified life for senior citizens.
