The people in the old age are suffering due to various reasons including health ailments and rejection from own family members etc. Hence, they need care of the family members as well as society, opined by the Senior Citizens’ Forum in the fifth annual day observation here on Sunday.
While attending the meeting as chief guest, Baleswar MP RK Jena, besides expressing concern over the plight of the elderly persons, said that he would extend support of financial help to the tune if `50 lakh out of his lAD fund, for construction of an old-age home.
He said as per a survey report, out of every 10 elderly couples in India, more than 6 are forced by their children to leave their homes.
According to an estimate, nearly 40 per cent of senior citizens living with their families are reportedly facing abuse of one kind or the other, but only 1 in 6 cases actually comes to light. According to NGOs, incidences of elderly couples being forced to sell their houses are very high, Jena said.
The 63 percent of the elderly in India are found to be illiterate, which has a bearing on their economic activities. While 32 per cent of elderly males in rural areas and 30 per cent of males in urban areas were fully dependent on others, the same figures stood at 72 per cent for females.
Jena, besides stating about the national policies, programmes and schemes for protection of rights and dignity of elderly persons and laws related to them, also mentioned about the schemes and programmes including Madhubabu Pension Yojna (covering 22 lakhs elderly people), Baristha Nagarika Tirtha Ytra Yojana and Odisha State Senior Citizen Policy, 2016 of the Odisha Government. Sadar MlA JP Dash, ADM MM Pani, SP Niti Sekhar and others also addressed the gathering, expressing their views that the protection of rights of elderly persons lie with everyone in the society.
As many as 87 people were given senior citizen certificates by the district police. The president of the forum while highlighted various demands of the senior citizens, association secretary laxmidhar Behera placed a charter of demands, including enhancement of pension from `300 to `1,000 per month, health insurance and special fund to meet the contingency requirement of the community.
Further, the forum demanded beginning of the Government medical
college and hospital and expediting works of AIIMS satellite centre etc.