Bengal shows the way: senior citizens’ residence initiative Snehodiya  touching lives.

West Bengal HIDCO chairman Debashis Sen unveiled the logo of Snehodiya, a unique senior citizen’s residence, developed by the WBHIDCO in Siliguri.
Sen had developed the concept after studying viability at Newtown.

He has also expressed concern over the plight of middle class senior citizens who live alone after their sons and daughters settle down in different states or foreign countries.

“As I started working, we saw 12 childrens’ parks in the master plan of Newtown. But there was no park for senior citizens. The life span of people has increased and now it is 65 to 75 years. We developed a park for senior citizens and chief minister Mamata Banerjee named it Swapnobhor. After that we conceived the idea of a senior citizen’s residence at New Town and the CM named it Snehodiya. Snehodiya is located just opposite Swapnobhor,” said Mr Sen.

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He added, “Snehodiya is India’s first organised senior citizen residency developed by HIDCO. Swapanobhor is also a unique concept.”

Sen, who is also the additional chief secretary, information technology and electronics (IT&E) Department, said: “Many people from Assam, Tripura and other states in the Northeast are coming here. The objective of addressing the media in Siliguri is to spread the message to more people in North Bengal.”

According to him, with better mobility and higher quality of life, senior citizens today are looking for the right retirement homes to spend the golden years of their life with like-minded neighbours. “With the rise in nuclear families, children living overseas or in distant cities, more and more seniors in the country are facing loneliness. This has led to these children looking for assisted senior residential homes. Snehodiya provides the perfect retirement home for the senior citizens to spend their life with people of the same age around them. It has been able to break the misconception and myths about old age home in the country with the premium amenities and features,”  Sen said.

Snehodiya, a G plus 10 air conditioned service apartment, is the first of its kind co-living space for the senior citizens in India. It has 57 double bed and 90 single occupancy rooms.