Senior
Citizens National Protest Day-16-8-12 (SCNPD).
``Right
Every Wrong`` Satyamev
Jayte.
M.V.Ruparelia, A503
Rashmi Utsav, Near Jangid Estate & Vijay Park, Mira Road (East) Dist.
Thane. 401107. M. 09821732855. E/Mail: mvrup@yahoo.co.in
MEMRANDUM TO OUR
BELOVED
PRIME MINISTER Dr. MANMOHAN SINGH BY THE SENIOR CITIZENS OF INDIA
To
August
1.2012.
Dr Manmohan Singh,
Honorable Prime Minister of India
South Block, Raisina Hill, New Delhi-110101.
Mananivar Pradhan
Mantri Ji,
Sub:
Non-implementation by Central Ministries & State Governments/UTs of Various
Policies notified by the Government for Senior Citizens.
1. As
you may be aware, we have been representing to you, concerned Ministers by name
of Central Government and Chief Ministers of States/UTs for our various demands
through Memorandum issued on first Protest day of 16-8-10 and second Solidarity
Day on 16-8-11. We have also been requesting you and others well in advance of
preparation of Budgets to provide funds for our demands. No sincere efforts are
made to implement many of the provisions of various policies announced by the
Government. We observe that Elders of
the Country are repeatedly ignored by Central, State & Local Bodies and as
such 12 crore Senior Citizens have united and decided to observe 16-8-12 as
National Protest Day. This year, in addition to demonstrations & sending
Post Cards & Memorandum to all concerned throughout the Country, starting
from 1st August, thousands of YOUR ageing & ailing Senior Citizens will
undertake fast at various places on that day. It is pity and shame for our Country, which is known in the
Entire World as having a Culture of respecting their Elders and which is ruled
by Elderly Ministers, that ailing Elders have to undergo fast and have to agitate for
non-implementation of accepted Policies and Acts passed by Parliament. We therefore request you to look in to this position
of ignoring your Elders personally, sincerely and swiftly. Central Joint Action
Committee of all Associations of Elders has decided to bring only the following
major issues out of many to your notice for your personal intervention.
i)
Ministry of
Social Justice is nominated as Nodal Ministry for Welfare of Elders. This
Ministry deals with many subjects and is not able to take appropriate &
prompt action. We request you to give us a separate Ministry for 12 crore
Senior Citizens, keeping in view the likely position of having a huge
population of Elders in coming years. If this is not possible immediately, let
there be a separate Directorate/Department by providing sufficient staff and
officers up to Secretary Level with pro-elder aptitude and attitude. Recently,
this Ministry was bifurcated and matters pertaining to Senior Citizens were put
under charge of Joint Secretary and Director (Ageing) was given additional
burden of Drug Addiction Abolition. Looking to the deplorable position of
pending issues of Elders, it is absolutely necessary to provide independent
Director, Joint Secretary and Secretary not only at Centre but also at State
Level. National/State Commissions for Senior Citizens for ensuring no
violations of Rights Of Senior Citizens are also necessary.
ii)
Separate Negotiating Machinery by recognizing existing
registered Federations of Senior Citizens and separate Web Site for Senior
Citizens will help early implementation of all policies. You will be surprised
to know that at present, neither Nodal Ministry nor any other Ministry even sends
a copy of circular/instructions affecting Elders to any of the Associations of
Senior Citizens. Recognition of various Associations, as done by Ministry of
Pension for Associations of retired persons is necessary. Web Site of Nodal
Ministry is complicated and difficult to get any information quickly. To get
information about Elders from Annual Reports and RTI Booklet, one has to go down
60-70 pages!!
iii)
National Policy of Older Persons, 1999 was announced on 13-2-99 with the
approval of Cabinet. Para
93 of the Policy directs each Ministry to implement the aspects concerning them
by preparing Five Year and Annual Action Plan with targets. Para 18 of the
Policy envisages that age 60+ is a phase, when individual should have chances
and opportunities to lead an active, creative, productive and satisfying life.
Large number of provisions of NPOP, 99 is not yet implemented even after 13
years and most of the States/UTs have not even adopted/accepted the Policy. We
request you to call a meeting or write a personal letter to all Stake Holders
to implement provisions concerning them. Nodal Minister was given Revised
Policy on 30-3-11 by Committee, nominated on 28-1-10, in which large number of
Government representatives were nominated with only 4 representatives of 12
crore elders and is lying in Ministry for more than 16 months. Action is not
being taken on Old or New Policy for 3 years!! Your personal intervention is
requested.
iv)Maintenance & Welfare of Parents &
Senior Citizens Act was made law in 2007. Even after 5 years, many States have
not yet fully implemented.
v)Modified Integrated Programme for Older Persons
was issued effective from 1-4-08 but is not implemented by most of the States,
as no instructions are issued by States to local bodies or NGOs etc. Ministry
of Personnel is advertising often in Newspapers & TV Channels about
usefulness of RTI Act to create awareness amongst Citizens. Our Nodal Ministry
is doing nothing to create awareness amongst 12 crore Senior Citizens, Local
Bodies & NGOs about not only this very useful policy but about anything to
keep the Society aware of changing situations of Elders, their issues and areas
of action etc. One Episode by Satyamev Jayate created lot of AWARENESS in the
Country about some issues of Elders. Nodal Ministry or Ministry of Information
& Broadcasting does nothing to create such awareness for any issues. Even
on World Elder Day & World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, no advertisements
appear in any newspapers or TV Channels in other than Delhi.
vi)Health
Care of Elders is the most neglected issue. Affordable health services are not
provided for all. Implementation of National Programme for Health Care of
Elders (NPHCE) is required to be taken up on war footing. Ministry of Defense
and Railways having separate independent Medical Department are required to be
instructed to adopt main features of NPHCE for their retired employees. According
to NPOP, 99, Health Insurance was to be given high priority to cater to the
needs of different income segments but no decision is taken by Finance Ministry
even after obtaining suggestions from Government appointed Sastry Committee and
receiving final recommendations thereon from Government Agency of IRDA in 2009.
This requires your personal intervention.
vii)More
than 33% of Elders are Below Poverty Line and after getting classified as
belonging to BPL Family, some of them are given Rs 200 as Indira Gandhi Old Age
Pension with only some states giving their contribution. This amount of Pension
is a mockery of Human Beings and violates Human Rights!! As per Policy, this
amount was to be revised at intervals so that inflation does not deflate its
real purchasing power! This has not been done. This amount may please be
increased considerably, keeping in view recent agitation by Pension Parishad.
2.
With your SINCERE personality & tact of
handling all situations, we are sure that you will do needful quickly,
sincerely and make all STAKE HOLDERS realize their Moral & Official Duty
towards 12 crore Elders of the Country.
3.
We request you to give us reply in terms of para
66 of Office Manual for this request, indicating your plan of action.
Thanking You,
Yours Sincerely,
(M.V.Ruparelia)
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