CHANDIGARH: The UT administration has identified 1.25 acre land in Sector 34 for setting up a group home for those battling mental illness under the Mental Healthcare Act.
The site is earmarked for old age home. The administration is planning to create two sections in this vacant piece of land — one for mentally ill persons and other portion for old age people.
The proposal will be put up before UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit, who will take a final call.
UT adviser Dharam Pal said they have identified a piece of land in Sector 34, which will have two different portions. One will be for old people and the other one will be for mentally ill people.
He said the UT administrator will visit Indira Holiday Home. There are some other options as well for setting up special home for mentally ill people and everything will be finalised in the meeting chaired by the UT administrator, he said.
To meet the needs of people with intellectual disability, the administration was considering establishing a a special home for such people in the city.
In a recent meeting of the executive committee of the Indira Holiday Home Society, which was held on Tuesday, under the chairmanship of the adviser, it was decided to identify a land for such people to construct a building to be named as ‘Group Home for Mentally Ill Persons’ in the city.
The move is to provide assisted living facilities which will include professional psycho-social support and recreational facilities to enhance the overall quality of life for the residents, as many parents are old and unable to take care of such persons.
Also, parents of many mentally challenged children are worried about the future of their children after their death.
However, a group of parents and citizens have proposed a serenity therapeutic village at Indira Holiday Home. To this, the adviser said that the new building would have all facilities as per the needs and requirements of the special persons.
In recent years, around 70 city-based residents have written a number of emails and letters to the UT administrator and UT adviser.
A meeting was also held between UT officials and residents.
They had submitted people with mental illness need the support of the government and community so they can lead a productive life.
