MP: Elders' Panchayat at CM's residence

Jabalpur, May 21: Madhya Pradesh Health Minister Ajay Vishnoi has said that an Elders' Panchayat would soon be convened at Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's residence in Bhopal for solving that segment's problems.

''Every state government employee's salary increased by about 10 per cent after DA was merged with basic pay. Pensioners also benefited,'' he said here yesterday while addressing the Madhya Pradesh Pensioners' Samaj's 13th State Conference at the collectorate premises. Bharat Pensioners' Samaj President J P Dubey was among those present.

Claiming that the government was purchasing about Rs 200 crore worth of medicines this year so that they could be supplied free of cost to senior citizens, the Minister added that the medicines would be made available through district hospitals and their block-level counterparts.

''I support the demand for setting up a Pensioners' Board at division level,'' he added.

UNI