ASHIAANA, the home for the deserted sr. citizens doing yeomen service for the overall welfare of the age olds

The Lensedown Old Students Association did a wonderful job today. The LOSA members donated a cheque of Rs 25000 and distributed good number of new sarees, pullovers and heat convectors to the hapless old aged citizens at ASHIANA, THE HOME FOR THE SR CITIZENS run by Jyoti Rautela, a social activist and her dedicated team, situated at Jehrikhal, a hill station near Lansedown about 1800 metres above sea level and sponsered by the Hans Foundation.

The cheque was presented to the management of ASHIANA by Garhratna Narendra Singh Negi and a legendary singer of Uttarakhand and the president LOSA Dr. Satish Naithani in the presence of good number of the Losaites and the members as well the senior citizens of the VRADHASHRAM.

The eminent literateur, writer Ganesh Khugsal Gani and Negiji’s wife Usha Negi were also present on this ocassion. Those who prominently spoke on this ocassion besides Negi were Losa president Dr. S. P. Naithani, the chief inspiration and president of ASHIANA Jyoti Rautela and the president of Uttarakhand Journalists Forum Sunil Negi who is also associated with LOSA actively. All the speakers highly lauded the pioneering efforts of Jyoti Rautela and his dedicated team for for initiating the ASHIANA project after confronting so much of challenges and serving selflessly the deserted old aged men and women having been left in lurch with nobody to take care of them.

Several LOSA activists including Janardhan Sharma, Beena Sharma, Rajiv Barthwal, Sr advocate and Member of a judicial tribunal Ashok Negi, Renuka Rawat, Col. Chandri Patwal, Usha Negi, Dr. Vinod Nautiyal Dr. Satish Kaleshwari etc distributed gifts to the old aged citizens.

According to its main organiser and the inspiration behind opening of this Radha Devi Vradhashram, ASHIANA, Jyoti Rautela revealed that her grandmother late Radha Devi for the very first time donated Rs. 90 thousand when the construction work of the building started in 2014/ 15 followed by the financial support of the The Hans Foundation, a renowned charitable Trust (run by Bholeji maharaj and Mangla mata) n their daughter, the UK minister for environment and forests Harak Singh Rawat n several others.

The management of the trust procured the land in 2007 and it took 7 challenging years to arrange funds and other inputs to enable the formal construction of the building.

Spread in a sprawling, two Bighas of land, the building consists of several dormatories and room with a well furnished office and staff.

About 30 old aged women and men who’d been deserted by their near and dear ones’ live here with free clothing, medical look after and breakfast, lunch and dinner including the recreational facilities.

Majority of the Sr. citizens hail from Pauri district, particularly Chelusaun, nearby villages of Jehrikhal and Lansedowne.

The contribution of Hans Foundation and the untiring efforts of youthful bachelor and a devoted social activist Jyoti Rautela need to be applauded by all means for their pioneering service to the hapless and deserving old people left in lurch and financial agony by their sons and daughter in laws.

Salutes. The programme was ably compered by Losa Secretary Janardhan Sharma.