Amaravati: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy instructed the officials to setup a State Senior Citizen Council. The Council should consist of minimum four senior citizens and the Council would should meet the Government once in a month. District Senior Citizen Councils also will be established in the districts to address senior citizens’ problems.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meeting on Spandana here on Tuesday and said that it is the responsibility of everyone to take care of senior citizens in the state programmes should be planned for their well-being.

“‘Village secretariats are going to start tomorrow (October 2). By December 1, all the village secretariats should function and by end of November all the facilities should be provided to village secretariats. All the errors should be resolved by December,” said the Chief Minister to the officials.

The Chief Minister asked the officials to conduct ‘Spandana’ program every day from January 1 after the village secretariats starts full fledge functioning. The goal is to deliver ration card, pension, and other services within 72 hours. ‘If services are provided in prescribed time, that means we have achieved a milestone,’ said Chief Minister.

“We are focusing on malnutrition in children and women. A program needs to be conducted on this with the help of village volunteers. We have asked to conduct screening test in all Anganwadi centres.”

Chief Minister asked the officials to show a permanent solution to this problem. The government is ready to give Rs. 18 for nutritious food to children. Previously, the government used to give Rs. 8 for the same.

“Cases of anaemia, malnutrition and infant mortality are on the rise besides child marriages,” he said. Speaking on Rythu Bharosa scheme, The Chief Minister asked the officials to keep the beneficiaries details in village secretariats on October 5. ‘The final list should be sent to Agriculture Department on October 8,” the Chief Minister said to the officials in Spandana meeting, and asked them to create awareness among tenant farmers.

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