A legal assistance booth for senior citizen was inaugurated on Thursday in the office of the Sub-Collector here.
District Judge-cum-Chairman of District legal Aid Cell Ram Shankar Hota inaugurated it. District Collector Pramod Das and other judicial officers, senior citizens and advocates were present on the occasion.
Hota while explained the aim and objective of opening such booth in the sub division, Collector Das said that for protection the interest and rights of senior citizens, a legislation ‘Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 was enacted by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2007 and the State Government has framed the Odisha Maintenance of Parents and Welfare of Senior Citizens Rules, 2009 .
He said that the society was witnessing a fast change and the joint family structure and culture was fast diminishing, where the old age parents were bearing the brunt of neglect. Das further said that to address the issues pertaining to the senior citizens while in each sub division there would be a tribunal, the sub collector would be the presiding officer. The district Collector would the presiding officer of the appellate tribunal in the district. These booths established in the sub divisions would be extending helps to them while lawyers, engaged by the district legal aid cell, would be helping them to get justice, he informed.
Secretary legal aid cell Saroj Das, ADJ(OPID) Gyanaranjan Mohanty, ADJ(SC,ST) Aswani Nayak, Special Judge Vigilance Ramkanta Panda, Judge family court Srikant Mishra, CJM D Rout, registrar Ranjita Jyotisha, Additional Sub Judge Chinmoy Gochhayat, Subhanjan Mohanty and SDJM Dipankar Pattnaik were among others attended.
The president and secretary of the Senior Citizen Forum, Baleswar respectively Baidyanath Sarangi and laxmidhar Behera were present .