A day care centre for the elderly in Kurukshetra

Vishal Joshi

For 62-year-old AP Pruthi, a retired college lecturer of economics, visiting the Senior Citizen Day Care Centre at the Dronacharya Stadium in the heart of Kurukshetra has become an integral part of his daily schedule. He spends at least four hours reading newspapers and books there.

“My wife is serving as a lecturer at Pundri in Kaithal and the younger son is an engineering student. When the centre was opened in February 2017, I was impressed with the concept. Since then visiting the senior citizen home has become a habit. So, I prefer spending my free time in a good ambiance there every day,” he says.

The centre is housed in a well-equipped building. It has anti-skid wooden flooring, a tiny library with a range of books and an automatic tea making machine, among other facilities. Though the district administration has provided the building, the expenses of all facilities, including furniture and RO water purifier, are met by the Vinod Bajaj Memorial Trust.

Chairperson of the trust Vikram Bajaj, owner of a leading furniture showroom of the city, says that he spends about Rs 22,000 every month on the day care centre, including to paying salaries to two caretakers.

“After the demise of my father Vinod Bajaj seven years ago, I wanted to do something useful in his memory. The then Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Sumedha Kataria motivated me in 2017 to contribute to the welfare of the elderly. I readily agreed to the social initiative and I feel happy that it is being done well,” says Vikram.

About 60 male members visit the centre regularly and they can avail of the services there free of cost. “We have adopted a strict norm of not playing cards at the centre. It is a dignified place for old people who want to spend quality time. We gather there every day and discuss various subjects. Some of us have contributed to buying a cycle exerciser for anyone to use,” says Satish Kumra (74), who retired as election tehsildar.

Another regular visitor Jagmohan Lal Bansal, a retired government school principal, says that there is a proposal to install air conditioners at the centre. “The trust has provided a desert cooler and 20 fans to the centre to beat the heat. Yoga classes are held there every day for anyone to attend. On every second Saturday, a get-together is organised where sometimes we invite doctors for free consultation and awareness camps. The monthly social gathering ends with a high tea and all its expenses are met by the trust,” says Bansal.