Launched in 1999 by the Maharashtra government, the national policy is yet to be implemented in the state.
The Federation of Senior Citizens Organisations Maharashtra (FESCOM) along with the Association of Senior Citizen’s Organisation of Pune (ASCOP) has demanded implementation of the national policy for the elderly, launched in 1999 by the state
government.
Both the organisations recently held a programme in the city to discuss the problems faced by senior citizens in Maharashtra.
“Centre had framed the policy to address the problems of senior citizens. But unfortunately, barring eight states, the policy has not been implemented by the other states, including Maharashtra,” said Ramanbhai Shah, the past president of FESCOM, Pune branch.
He told DNA that the policy supports the elderly in matters of financial security, health care, welfare and
rehabilitation.
“But since the state government has failed to heed the plight of the elderly, we demand that the policy be implemented as soon as possible,” the association members added.
The members met chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday when the latter was in the city, and submitted a memorandum demanding immediate implementation of the policy in the state.
Arun Rode, current president of FESCOM, Pune, said that the number of senior citizens would increase drastically in the next 30 years.
“We do not have proper facilities for the elderly in Maharashtra. Even today there are people who are thrown out of their homes by their own children to which they cannot even oppose. There are many who are lonely and suffer from ailments like Alzheimer’s,” he said.
According to him, the central government’s policy has declared people of 60 and above as senior citizens, but in the state the age limit is 65 years.
“This age related issue should be resolved as early as possible so that 60+ people can avail of the facilities provided by the government in terms of medical treatment and commuting,” Rode said.
The association members demanded that senior citizens below poverty line (BPL) category should get a pension of Rs1,000 per month, under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS). Senior citizens living in old age homes should also be entitled to this pension,
they said.
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