The Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities, and Social Security has introduced the Grant Support Procedures for Establishing and Operating Senior Citizen Daycare and Meeting Centres under Provincially Operated Programs and Projects, 2083. The framework establishes guidelines for provincial governments to support the establishment and operation of elderly care facilities across municipalities and rural municipalities through conditional grants allocated in the annual budget. Developed in accordance with Nepal’s Constitution, the Senior Citizens Act, 2063, the Senior Citizens Regulations, 2065, and the Financial Procedures and Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2076, the procedures aim to ensure that citizens aged 60 years and above have access to safe, dignified, and supportive environments during the daytime.
Under the procedures, provincial governments must ensure that daycare and meeting centres meet minimum operational and infrastructure standards, including adequate lighting, ventilation, seating arrangements, accessible toilets, clean drinking water, and appropriate recreational facilities. The centres must operate for at least five days per week and provide senior citizens with refreshments, opportunities for social interaction, recreational activities, and access to essential healthcare support. The guidelines encourage cooperation with government, private, and community hospitals to arrange periodic health examinations, medical supplies, counselling, and other necessary services. They also allow elderly participants to engage in religious, cultural, recreational, and educational visits to parks, museums, forests, and other public places at least once every three months, depending on their interests.
The framework places particular emphasis on reducing loneliness, supporting mental well-being, and promoting intergenerational knowledge sharing. Provincial authorities are encouraged to organize programs addressing social isolation, psychological distress, family relationships, and health concerns among elderly citizens. These activities may include psychiatric and psychological counselling, awareness programs on mental health conditions, free health camps, and community discussions. The centres may also facilitate income-generating activities for senior citizens interested in producing goods, publishing books, or marketing products developed through their knowledge and experience. By promoting the transfer of traditional skills and practical knowledge to younger generations, the initiative seeks to narrow the generation gap while improving the social participation and quality of life of older adults.
The ministry has also established financial management, monitoring, and reporting requirements to ensure accountability in the use of government grants. Provincial ministries must maintain transparent expenditure records, conduct monitoring and evaluations, and return any unspent conditional grant funds to the federal consolidated fund at the end of the fiscal year. Provincial governments must submit annual progress reports within 15 days after the fiscal year ends to seniorcitizen.mowcgss@gmail.com, detailing financial and physical progress, beneficiary numbers, program achievements, monitoring findings, and implementation challenges. The reporting template included in the procedures requires separate data on male and female beneficiaries, budget sources, expenditure, and institutional contributions. Through the initiative, the government aims to strengthen cooperation between federal, provincial, and local authorities while expanding accessible and community-based care services for Nepal’s growing elderly population.
