Former law Minister and Congress veteran Ashwani Kumar on Friday raised the bar for the elderly by demanding the Supreme Court to ensure an old age home in every district of the country so that senior citizens are not deprived of a life of dignity.
Having retired from the Rajya Sabha last month, Kumar took up the cudgels for the elder citizens by filing a PIl in his name showing how this section of society had become a vulnerable class of society with several receiving no shelter, food or healthcare despite Central schemes and laws being in place.
Touched by the noble cause propagated by Kumar, a senior advocate himself, the bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur, Justices R Banumathi and UU lalit sought response from the Centre on the steps taken to implement schemes enacted under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 and Integrated Programme for Older Persons, National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly, and other such schemes enacted from time
to time.
The bench also issued notice to National legal Services Authority to get information on schemes available for elderly and infirm to seek their rights under the above laws. The Court appointed NGO Help Age India to assist them in monitoring the case and identify gaps in the delivery of facilities to the aged.
Kumar referred to a report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee that stressed the need for more budgetary allocation for elderly. “In the demand for grants 2015-16, the amount allocated at the budget estimate stage was `50 crore in 2014-15 which was cut down to `25 crore at revised estimate stage and only `10.45 crore could be utilised,” the petition said.
At present, the petition added that the number of old age homes in the country was grossly disproportional to their population. A study conducted by HelpAge India showed that in 12 major cities, 60 per cent of elderly have been verbally abused, 48 per cent have been physically abused, 37 per cent have been emotionally abused and 35 per cent economically abused.