CM Stalin to tour Pudukkottai, Tiruchirappalli to inaugurate centre for senior citizens

Chennai, Nov 9 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin will undertake a two-day visit to Pudukottai and Tiruchirappalli districts from November 10 and will inaugurate 'Anbucholai', a Centre for senior citizens.

The centre, to be inaugurated in Tiruchirappalli, aims to provide companionship, medical care, and recreational activities for elderly citizens. The state government has proposed 25 such centres across Tamil Nadu to improve the quality of life of senior citizens.

"The Anbucholai, Senior Citizens' Leisure Resource Center in Tiruchirappalli will function as a community centre focusing on the healthy development of senior citizens," a government release said on Sunday.

Two such centres, each in ten corporations of Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, Tirupur, Erode, Tuticorin, Vellore, Thanjavur, and Dindigul, besides the industrial districts of Ranipet and Krishnagiri, and three centres in Tondiarpet, Sholinganallur, and Virugambakkam in the Greater Chennai Corporation area, have been established at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore.

These centres offer recreational facilities, yoga, libraries, and necessary skill development services, the release said. The elderly daycare centres are the first of their kind in the state.

"The CM who is regularly implementing numerous new initiatives has recently formulated the Anbucholai project to improve the well-being of senior citizens and help the elderly at home stay motivated without getting discouraged," the release added.

According to an estimate by the Social Welfare Department, Tamil Nadu has 75 lakh elderly individuals, and this figure is likely to double to 1.5 crore (about 18 per cent of the population) by 2031.

The 'Anbucholai' Centre initiative, the first of its kind in the state, will address issues of loneliness, medical care needs, and financial dependency among senior citizens.

The elderly can engage in companionship and meaningful activities at the centres. Assistance will be provided by the government with the help of non-governmental organisations.

In Pudukkottai district, Stalin will lay the foundation stone for new projects worth Rs 767 crore, inaugurate completed works, and provide welfare assistance to beneficiaries. PTI JSP SSK JSP SSK ADB