Senior Citizens National
Protest Day-16-8-12 (SCNPD).
``Right Every
Wrong`` Satyamev Jayte.
M.V.Ruparelia, A 503 Rashmi Utsav,
Near Jangid Estate & Vijay Park, Mira Road (East), Dist. Thane-Maharashtra-401107.E/Mail:
mvrup@yahoo.co.in
MEMRANDUM
TO OUR BELOVED
CHIEF MINISTER Shri Prithviraj Chavan
BY THE SENIOR
CITIZENS OF Maharashtra.
Date: 4th August, 2012.
To,
Honorable
Shri Prithviraj Chavan
Chief
Minister of Maharashtra, Mantralaya, Mumbai: 400032.
Sub:
Non-implementation by State Government of Various Policies notified
by the Government of India for Senior
Citizens.
1.
We, 1.2 crore Senior Citizens of Maharashtra are
grateful to you for giving to poor Maharashtrians including Senior Citizens the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojna (RGJAY) & appointing
Tribunals under Rules framed on 23-6-10 on Maintenance & Welfare of Parents
& Senior Citizens Act, 2007.
2. As
you may be aware, we have been representing to you, your concerned Ministers by
name for our various demands through Memorandum issued on first Protest day of
16-8-10 and second Solidarity Day on 16-8-11 and on World Elder Abuse Awareness
Day. We have also been requesting you 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 of India in
our MOST PROGRESSIVE STATE. We observe
that Elders of the STATE are repeatedly ignored by the State & Local Bodies
and as such 1.2 crore Senior Citizens of entire Maharashtra 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, starting
from 1st August, thousands of YOUR ageing & ailing Senior Citizens will
undertake fast at various places on 16-8-12. It is pity and shame for our RICHEST & MOST PROGRESSIVE
STATE, which is known in the Entire Country as having a Culture of respecting
their Elders, that ailing Elders have to undergo fast and have to agitate year
after year 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 the major issues out of many to your notice for
your personal intervention.
3. National
Policy of Older Persons, 1999 was announced on 13-2-99 with the approval of
Cabinet. Para 93 of the Policy
directs each Stake Holder 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. It is MOST
UNFORTUNATE that our STATE has not yet adopted/accepted this Policy even after
13 YEARS! We fail to understand the reasons for not doing so and we are not
being informed of reasons thereof even after representing several times and
through RTI Act also. We also fail to understand why this step motherly
attitude is adopted by our State only towards your 1.2 crore Elders. In
addition to not accepting the Policy, your officers refuse to take action on
various orders issued by our Nodal Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
even after repeatedly pointing out. If there is some difficulty in accepting
one or some provisions of NPOP, 99 by State, action on acceptable provisions
can be taken for benefits of your Elders. Not issuing instructions for
acceptable provisions to subordinate offices is not a Fair Policy of the State.
Even in absence of notification of State Policy, the following actions for
which separate instructions are given by Nodal Ministry can be taken by the
State Government for welfare of their Elders, which is not being done:-
i)
Negotiating Machinery: At present, there is no
Negotiating Machinery in the State for negotiations with 1.2 crore Senior
Citizens of Maharashtra. State Council is not established inspite of D.O.
letters from Nodal Minister. State Council & District Councils laid down in
Rules 21 & 22 framed by State under Maintenance & Welfare Act, 2007 are
not established even after notifying Rules on 23-6-10. Arrangements may please
be made to obtain details of all Registered Associations/Organizations working
for senior Citizens and issue instructions to all Departments to hold regular
consultations with local Associations of Senior Citizens and endorse copy of
all circulars/instructions affecting elders to Federations/State level
Organizations. Similar list should be available with each Panchayat/
Municipality & each Ward Officer for their jurisdiction. State & Local
Bodies should call for Meetings, Seminars etc for inter action with elders
periodically.
ii)
Integrated Programmes for Older
Persons (IPOP)- Revised
Scheme effective from 1-4-2008: Nodal Ministry has advised that as against
National Allocation to Maharashtra for
this purpose in year 2008-09 of Rs 150 lakhs, only Rs 49.92 and against NA for
2009-10 of Rs 75 lakhs, only Rs 47.07 were released as per State Demand. Para 6 of the Revised Scheme has made
Panchayati Raj Institutions & Local Bodies as main implementing Agencies.
No instructions having been issued to these agencies, BMC & MBMC are
refusing to take action and insist on State Instructions. Kindly make out a
time bound programme for each Panchayat & Municipal Units to provide these
Welfare Schemes in each ward within a year as 90% of recurring &
non-recurring expenditure will be borne by Ministry of Social Justice, Delhi.
Wide & repeated Publicity will make lot of difference to the lives of
Elders.
iii)
Health Care: Policy envisages Health Care for
all, free to lower income & subsidized to higher income groups. Rajeev
Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojna may please be extended to Senior Citizens
having more than one lakh income by prescribing subsidized premium.
iv)
Celebrating International Day of
Older Persons (IDOP): It is observed that this Day is
neither observed by State nor by Panchayati Raj & Municipal Bodies in
Maharashtra inspite of repeated instructions from Nodal Ministry every year. Instructions
for celebrating ``World Awareness Day of Abuse of Older Persons`` on 15th
June are also not issued. These celebrations will create proper atmosphere of
Respect for Elders in the Society.
v)
Vayoshestha Sanmans:
Nodal Ministry has given a list of 10 Sanmans given by them every year,
which they give in celebration of IDOP. Our State should also give similar
Sanmans at State/District/Panchayat-Municipal levels.
vi)
Involve Panchayati Raj
Institutions & Municipalities For Welfare of Senior Citizens: Panchayati Raj Institutions (and
Local Bodies) are to be encouraged to initiate & participate in all schemes
of Welfare of Elders, address local level issues & needs of the ageing
population and implement programmes for them. They will provide Forums for
discussing concerns of Older Persons & Activities that need to be taken.
Such Forums will be encouraged at Panchayat, Municipal, Block & District
level. They will have adequate representation of older women. Panchayat will
mobilize the talents & skills of older persons & draw up plans for
utilizing these at local level. Kindly issue necessary instructions to all
Local Bodies and monitor the progress, as this will lead to real welfare of
Elders of Maharashtra.
vii)
Instructions to our Media,
Trusts, Charitable Hospitals/State & Municipal Hospitals , NGOs , Civic
Authorities etc: Kindly issue necessary instructions to all
Stake Holders in Maharashtra for looking after the welfare of Elders, so that
they start doing their work on provisions of Policy, which may lead to our
Elders leading dignified life during their last spell of life.
viii)
Annual Report of work done in the
State for its Elders: At
present any good work done for Elders by State is not known to large number of
Senior Citizens. An annual report for all work done for Elders in the State
should be prepared and brought out in Media on every International Day for
Older Persons. This will not only monitor various actions by all authorities
but boost morale of Elders of Maharashtra.
4. At present, Ministry of Social
Justice & Vishesh Sahaya is looking after many subjects including welfare
of Senior Citizens, resulting in not attending to issues pertaining to Elders. It
is absolutely necessary to have separate Ministry and if not possible
immediately, at least Separate Department exclusively for Elders. Just as Joint
Secretary and Director (Ageing) are working as Nodal Officers in Ministry of
S.J. & E. at Centre, Nodal Officer at State level may be nominated to deal
with all matters pertaining to Senior Citizens.
5. No action is taken on various
provisions of Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Rules notified
in Gazette no. 86 dt 23-6-10, though more than 2 years are over. Please, get
immediate action taken on the following provisions:-
i)
Please,
give Wide Publication to Tribunals, giving copies to various Associations &
NGOs.
ii)
Take
action to provide Old Age Home in each District.(Rule 18)
iii)
Issue Instructions
to all Police Stations for protection of Life & Property, visiting lonely
Senior Citizens, collecting data of all Sr Citizens in area of each Police
Station, Police Help Line for each Police Station etc. (Rule 20)
iv)
Wide
Publicity of Central/State/Municipality Programmes for Welfare of Senior
Citizens (Rule 19)
v)
Provide State
& District Councils (Rule 21 & 22).
6. Action is not taken on the
following State Orders affecting Senior Citizens, which may please be got
implemented very early:-
i)
Medical Treatment in Municipal Hospitals in Mumbai: As per State GR no. 2006/navi-20 dt 12-12-06,
free treatment is to be given to all Senior Citizens in all Municipal
Hospitals. All Hospitals, except 3 major Hospitals of Nair, KEM & Sion have
given in writing that they are giving free treatment to all Senior Citizens.
These 3 major Hospitals are defying the State Orders for last 6 years and do
not give free treatment to Senior Citizens. You may please take up with
concerned defaulter and get this done very early.
ii)
Free Movement of Rickshaws in entire MMRDA Area: As per Notification in Extraordinary State
Gazette dt 25-2-08, all Rickshaws & taxies were allowed to ply in
entire MMRDA area but these orders are not yet implemented even after 4 years
for rickshaws, resulting in Senior Citizens, women & students with heavy
bags and all citizens have to walk with luggage at all check nakas for change
over from one side Rickshaws to other side Rickshaws. In Mira Bhayander Area,
Rickshaws are not running on meters and they charge exorbitant rates for even
short distance e.g. from Dahisar Checknaka to Shrusti area- distance of less
than 1.6 km, Rs 40 is charged. Kindly, take up seriously with defaulters and
get these genuine grievances solved.
7. State Web Site is very
complicated and as such there is a necessity of separate Web Site for Senior
Citizens of Maharashtra with Grievance Solving Machinery. This may kindly be
done.
Thanking You,
Yours Sincerely
(M.V.Ruparelia)
Copy
forwarded to
1. Shri R.R.Patil, Minister of Home
Affairs, Mantralaya, Mumbai-400032.
2. Shri Shivaji Rao Moghe, Minister of Social Justice,
Mantralaya, Mumbai-400032.
3. Shri Sunil Tatkare, Minister of
Finance, Mantralaya, Mumbai-400032.
4. Shri Sachin Mohan Ahir, State
Minister of Social Justice, Mantralaya, Mumbai-400032.
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