Two days after the Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Women and the state’s Social Welfare department conducted a joint surprise inspection at the Anand Niketan Vridh Ashram in Noida’s Sector 55 amid allegations of poor facilities for elderly inmates, the Social Welfare department on Saturday issued a notice underlining that all old age homes in Gautam Buddha Nagar should register on the government portal. Meanwhile, Noida City Magistrate Vivekanand Mishra on Saturday also inspected the old-age home, which has called the claims against it an attempt at defamation, and asked it to submit all relevant registration documents within two days.
The Social Welfare department’s order read, “All the old age homes, and day care centres — be it subsidised/non-subsidised by central/state government, or self-financed — operating in Gautam Buddha Nagar district are hereby informed to immediately register their institutions on the UP government or Social Welfare Department’s website and submit the information along with all the necessary documents to the office of District Social Welfare Officer Gautam Buddha Nagar or Senior Citizen Maintenance Officer.”
“If in the future, during the investigation of any institution, it is found that the institution has not registered on the above website, action will be taken as per rules,” the official order stated.
The Anand Niketan Vridh Ashram came under scrutiny after a viral video showed an elderly woman tied up inside a room. The footage, sent to the Social Welfare department in Lucknow, led to a surprise inspection and the rescue of two elderly women and a man on Thursday. “A team carried out an inspection on Saturday, and the trustee (of Anand Niketan) has been told to provide all valid documents at the earliest. The report will be submitted to the District Magistrate, and only after that, further decisions will be taken. The reports are expected within a day or two,” said Satish Kumar, District Social Welfare Officer, Gautam Buddha Nagar.
On being asked regarding the 69-year-old woman who was found with her hands tied, Amarveer Singh, a trustee of Jan Kalyan Samiti, at a press briefing, said, “When she came, she was termed as ‘not normal’ in her admission form. Her hands were tied because she would throw utensils at caretakers — a measure taken to ensure her safety and that of the staff,” said Singh.
However, despite the allegations, many families expressed their satisfaction with the care provided at the facility, and family members of 21 inmates gave their consent to keep their elderly relatives at the old-age home, he said. Singh also said that the trust is registered and that the Uttar Pradesh government has also issued them a certificate valid till 2026. “Anyone can come check the facility. Someone is trying to defame us,” he said.
“The department is preparing all the papers, and depending on the report, further steps will be taken,” said Maneesha Bharala, a member of the State Women’s Commission.
