24TH ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE SENIOR CITIZEN WELFARE ASSOCIATION HELD

24^TH ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE SENIOR CITIZEN WELFARE ASSOCIATION HELD

7-APRIL-ENG 14

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------The 24th annual convention of the Senior Citizen Welfare Association was successfully organized at the Red Cross Auditorium in Arrah, presided over by National President Dhirendra Prasad. The Chief Guest for the event was Sanjay Singh Tiger—the Labor Minister of the Government of Bihar and the local Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). The program was jointly inaugurated by City Mayor Indu Devi, Deputy Mayor Poonam Devi, Padma Shri awardee Dr. Bhim Singh Bhavesh, Bhai Brahmeshwar, Dr. Kamal Kumari Singh, Senior Advocate Nageshwar Dubey, Professor Gandhi Ji Rai, National General Secretary Dr. Diwakar Pandey, National Vice President Ashok Kumar Mishra, Bihar State President B.D. Singh, and Jharkhand State President Lal Bahadur Shastri. Approximately 500 delegates from nearly all major districts of Bihar—as well as from three other states—participated in the conference. Addressing the gathering, Bihar Minister Sanjay Singh Tiger stated that senior citizens are the custodians of society's heritage, and it is through their guidance that a strong and prosperous family is built. He added that their presence provides society with a continuous opportunity to learn and grow. In his address, National President Dhirendra Prasad Singh issued a stern warning to the Government of India, declaring that if the railway ticket concessions previously available to senior citizens prior to the COVID-19 era are not immediately reinstated—and if the age eligibility limit for the Ayushman Card is not reduced from 70 years to 60 years—the organization will be compelled to launch a nationwide agitation.

National General Secretary Dr. Diwakar Pandey and senior organization member Bhai Brahmeshwar remarked that today's youth are the senior citizens of tomorrow; therefore, young people should also be actively involved in such events. They placed special emphasis on maintaining harmony between generations and on the transmission of cultural values ​​and traditions. The event was attended by numerous dignitaries, including Bhojpur District President Harendra Singh, Patna District President Shambhunath Singh, Gaya District President Dinesh Prasad Singh, K.K. Verma and Krishnanandan from Muzaffarpur, National Secretary Professor Amarendra Kumar, Dr. Renu Mishra, Kanchan Prabha Singh, Nirmal Kumar, Bharat Bhushan Mishra, Joginder Prasad Singh, Brahmeshwar Dasvandhi, Avinash Kumar, Ravindranath, Bajrangbali Singh, Anant Kumar Srivastava, Ram Ayodhya Prasad, Advocate Devendra Prasad, Bhupendra Singh, Rajendra Singh Parihar, Goverdhan Singh, Radha Mishra, and Indravati Singh. On this occasion, Dr. Bhim Singh Bhavesh—a recipient of the Padma Shri—was felicitated for his outstanding contributions to society. In his address, he affirmed that he stands with senior citizens at every step and is committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with the organization.

Other prominent figures who addressed the conference included Dr. Kamal Kumari Singh, National Vice President Ashok Kumar Mishra, Dr. Dhirendra Kumar Singh, Professor Vishwanath Chaudhary, Raghav Prasad Singh, and Dr. Vibha Kumari, Secretary of the Red Cross Society.