Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Social Justice Department has terminated Sewa Bharti's contract to run 'Sandhya Chaaya', the state's first paid old age home, and is now planning to rope in MP Tourism Development Corporation to operate the facility.
The department is now working on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MP Tourism Development Corporation, under which unoccupied rooms could be rented out commercially as hotel rooms.
Principal Secretary of Social Justice Department Sonali Ponkshe Vayankar told Free Press that Sewa Bharti's contract had been terminated as it was not able to run the paid old age home in a proper manner. Before terminating the contract, a two-month notice was given to it.
Now, contemplation is underway to have an MoU with MP Tourism Development Corporation.
Under the proposed MoU, elderly people will be given priority in the allotment of rooms. If rooms remain unoccupied by elderly people, they could be rented out commercially.
This arrangement would also enable elderly residents of the paid old age home to get professional services similar to those provided by hotels.
Another senior officer of the department, on condition of anonymity, said that Sewa Bharti was unable to fulfil certain conditions of the contract, following which it was terminated.
The contract required it to pay rent for all the rooms of the paid old age home.
However, the facility could attract hardly half a dozen residents, while Sewa Bharti insisted on paying rent only for the occupied rooms and not the vacant ones.
Sewa Bharti was also not paying the rent on time and had raised issues with the department over malfunctioning air conditioners and the quality of construction.
But when the paid old age home was handed over to it, all the air conditioners were functioning well. It should have kept a full-time electrician to check the electricity-related issues, said the officer.
The officer also said Sewa Bharti had been delaying payment of the electricity bill and had raised an issue over the security deposit.
Free Press made efforts to contact a Sewa Bharti functionary, but the phone went unanswered.
34 rooms for 56 elderly people
The paid old age home has 34 rooms for 56 elderly people. It has single-bed and double-bed rooms of varying sizes.
The monthly charge for a single-bed room ranges from Rs 45,990 to Rs 49,990, depending on its size. Similarly, the monthly charge for a double-bed room ranges from Rs 76,980 to Rs 86,980.
