Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) scheme: All you need to know

The Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) scheme will be launched by the Union Government for providing assisted living devices and physical aids to Indian senior citizens who belong to the BPL (Below Poverty Line) category and suffering from any age related disability like loss of teeth, low vision, locomotor disability, and hearing impairment.

This Central Sector Scheme (CCS) is expected to be solely funded by the Central Government of India. The expenditure for the scheme implementation will be met from the “Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund”. It is expected that the scheme will benefit about 5,20,000 BPL elderly people of the country.

Key Facts:

1. Under the scheme, free of cost assisted-living devices and physical aids will be distributed to senior citizens of the country belonging to BPL category.
2. The scheme will be implemented by Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation, which is a PSU under the Indian Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
3. Under the scheme, assisted living devices like wheelchair, walking sticks, walkers/crutches, elbow crutches, hearing aids, tripods/quadpods, spectacles and artificial dentures will be provided to eligible beneficiary senior citizens.
4. The assisted-living devices provided under the scheme will help elderly citizens in overcoming their age-related physical impairment and will also help them in living a productive and dignified life with negligible or no dependence on members of their family or care givers.
5. The State Governments/UTs will identify eligible beneficiary senior citizens through a Committee, which will be chaired by the District Collector or Deputy Commissioner.
6. The Committee will have access to information on BPL senior beneficiaries, who have been receiving old age pension, under State/UTs’ pension schemes or under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). This will help them in identifying senior citizens that belong to BPL category and will be covered under the scheme.