Senior citizens seek implementation of welfare schemes

Associations of senior citizens observed August 16 as ‘Senior Citizens National Solidarity Day’ to protest against the tardy implementation of welfare schemes meant for them.

Organisations representing senior citizens said they will meet the state chief secretary soon to discuss the implementation of their demands, including the National Policy for Older Persons (NPOP) and the setting up of a commission to supervise the implementation of policies and schemes for senior citizens.  

According to groups representing the country’s elderly population, most schemes meant for them remain unimplemented. For instance, the NPOP was adopted by the central government in 1999, but of the 98 recommendations in the policy, only 18 have been implemented. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 has been notified by the Centre, but only 8 out of 35 states and union territories have implemented the Act.

Dr SP Kinjawadekar of the Federation of Senior Citizens Organisations said, “We have given the government the draft of the policy and they assured us that the policy will be implemented before August 15. It has not been implemented.”