President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate a number of initiatives, including a gathering place for senior citizens of his estate where they can avail of free health checkups and a ceremonial hall to host important events.
On Thursday, which is also Mukherjee’s birthday, the president, who is always thinking of innovative ways to make Rashtrapati Bhavan and the President’s Estate more people-friendly, will inaugurate five initiatives.
“…tomorrow (Thursday) is the president’s birthday and he will start the day with a slew of activities,” president’s Secretary Omita Paul said addressing the media at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
He will inaugurate ‘Samagama’, a community initiative for senior citizens residing in the President’s Estate that will offer a place for all senior citizens to gather daily and have free health check-ups and participate in recreation activities, etc.
Explaining the initiative, Rashtrapati Bhavan’s internal financial advisor Siddharth Sharma said according to an internal survey, there were about 180 people in the age group of 60 years and above and this initiative would be run from Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. “where all of them can get together and there will be a variety of activities for them — yoga classes, board games and also facility to sit down and read”.
He added that the officers’ wives at the Rashtrapati Bhavan will counsel them.
Mukherjee will then launch a Financial Literacy Festival and a Literacy Centre as well as a Financial Library at Dr Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in the President’s Estate.
Students of the Sarvodaya Vidyalaya as well as residents of the estate will be trained in financial literacy using dummy banking and literacy classes conducted by the State Bank of India at the Financial Literacy Centre.
The National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) will create a Financial Library where resources will be available to sustain interest of students and teachers.
IANS