Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur announced the campaign in Chandigarh on January 29. The government launched the programme earlier on January 16 in Mohali. It aims to improve healthcare access, social security coverage, and dignity for the elderly.

The State has allocated ₹7.86 crore under the State Action Plan for Senior Citizens for the financial year 2025–26. Dr. Baljit Kaur said the Mann Government places senior citizens at the centre of its people-focused governance model.

At the camps, doctors will offer free geriatric check-ups, ENT examinations, eye tests, and cataract surgeries. Officials will also help senior citizens apply for old-age pensions and issue Senior Citizen Cards on the spot.

ALIMCO will distribute assistive devices such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, and near-vision spectacles free of cost. The District Legal Services Authority will conduct awareness sessions on the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act.

Dr. Baljit Kaur urged families and local communities to encourage elderly members to attend the camps and benefit from the services for a healthier and more dignified life.

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The notification excludes income taxpayers, GST or professional tax payers, owners of four-wheelers or air conditioners, and households with income over Rs 1.8 lakh. Small farmers owning 2.5 to 5 acres of land, government employees, and those with homes over 100 square yards or flats above 750 sq. ft. will also lose eligibility. Marginal farmers with less than 2.5 acres remain unaffected.

Punjab currently has 1.52 crore beneficiaries. Officials said the notification only consolidates existing rules. Only individuals meeting exclusion criteria will be removed, while other family members will continue to get free wheat. A three-member committee led by the CM will finalize the revised criteria before verification begins.

The Centre had flagged suspicious beneficiaries, and the CM had earlier promised no deletions. Verification, now extended to six months due to paddy procurement, will determine final eligibility under the new Punjab NFSA beneficiary exclusion rules.

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