Senior
Citizens National Protest Day-16-8-12 (SCNPD).
``Right
Every Wrong`` Satyamev
Jayate
M.V.Ruparelia, A503 Rashmi Utsav, Near Jangid
Estate & Vijay Park, Mira Road (E). District Thane, Maharashtra. 401
107. M.09821732855. E/Mail: mvrup@yahoo.co.in
To
Date: 1-8-12.
Shri Kishore Chandra Deo,
Hon. Minister for Panchayati Raj &
Tribal Affairs,
Government of India, Shastri Bhawan,
New Delhi
110001.
Dear Sir,
Sub:
Non-implementation of National Policy on Older Persons, 1999.
1. Government of India had announced
National Policy on Older Persons, 1999 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. Para 97 lays down that Panchayati
Raj Institutions will be encouraged to participate in implementation of this
Policy, address local level issues and needs of Elders and implement various
programmes for them. They will provide Forums for discussing concerns of Elders
& activities required to be provided. In para 54, it is laid down that
Civic Authorities & Bodies providing Public Utilities will be required to
give priority to attending to representations/complaints of Elders. Payment of
Civic Dues will be facilitated. Elders will be given special considerations in
promptly dealing with matters relating to transfer of property, mutation,
property tax & other matters, harassments & abuses in such cases will
be checked.
2. When we contact any Local Body, they say they have
not received any instructions from your Ministry or State Authority. We request
you to look in to this sorry state of affairs of non-implementation of Policy
for benefit of 12 crore Elders of our Country even after 13 years and request
to issue Guide Lines for formation of Policy by each Local Body as per
provisions in the Policy. 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. In addition to
demonstrations through the Country, thousands of ageing & ailing Senior
Citizens will undertake fast at various places on that day. It is pity and
shame for our Country, whose Culture is to respect the Elders, that ailing
Elders have to undergo fast and have to agitate for non-implementation of an accepted Policy for 13 years. We therefore
request you to look in to this personally, sincerely and swiftly.
3. We request that following aspects in addition to
above may be considered at the time of issuing comprehensive instructions:-
i)
Provide Day Care Centres etc as per Integrated Programme of
Ministry of S.J.& E. in each ward. Integrated
Programme is available on Web Site of Ministry of SJ&E and was sent to M.C.
twice.
ii)
Constitute Ward Councils
for consultations for Civic Problems by appointing Seniors of the area,
preferably from local association.
iii)
Provide Community Buildings
for welfare activities for all citizens, giving separate space for seniors,
arranging inter generation activities with students, youths etc.
iv)
Provide avenues for part
time jobs, honorary utilization by giving training, as necessary.
v)
Have model instructions for
builders for providing various facilities keeping in view ageing &
lifestyle requirements of elders in all buildings, specially no physical
barriers to their mobility, Easy accessibility to shopping
complexes, reservation of 10% of houses in big colonies and Housing Boards for
elders, Group Housing for elders (paras 48 to 54 of Policy).
vi)
Provide more Nana-Nani
Parks and separate earmarking for seniors in existing gardens
with sufficient benches, zoolas & other facilities. Develop some gardens on
line with Veer Savarkar Garden at Borivali (Mumbai) having sufficient place for
Associations of Senior Citizens.
vii)
Each Ward Officer to be
made Friend, Philosopher & Family Member of all elders in their area,
making it obligatory to have full details of all elders staying in their
jurisdiction.
viii)
Creating awareness amongst
elders of each ward about facilities given and available by all agencies-govt
as well as corporate & Private bodies, NGOs etc.
ix)
Concessions in fares in Municipal Transport with free travel for
very elder ladies, toll tax etc may be considered.
x)
Footpaths with handles,
Zebra Crossings etc should be provided.
Hospitals: As Hospitals are under Municipalities, we may bring out the
following also:
xi)
Separate ques at present are formed in Municipal Hospitals
only
for taking out case paper and we have to be in common que for going to Doctor
of Faculty concerned. Instructions are required to be
issued for separate ques for going to Dr and getting medicines also. Such
instructions are necessary to Shopping Malls for Payment Counters and all other organizations providing public utility under
licensing control of Local Bodies.
xii)
Separate Health Care Units for Senior Citizens, as envisaged
by Ministry of Health & F.W. in National Programme for Health Care of
Elderly (NPHCE). Scheme
is available in Web Site of Ministry of Health & F.W.
xiii)
Geriatric Units in Hospitals attached to Medical
Colleges as per NPHCE. and
Physiotherapy
Units at CHE as per NPHCE should be provided.
xiv)
Instructions to Private Charitable Hospitals/Clinics/Pathological
units etc to provide separate ques, free
treatment to poor & at concessional rate to others and various actions as
per paras 33 to 54 of NPOP,99 for Health & Nutrition and Public Trust Acts.
xv)
As all Old Men Homes do not
keep immobile seniors, Corporations may consider providing
Old Men Homes exclusively for immobile elders, just as they provide Night
Shelters for homeless citizens.
xvi)
Counseling Centres for Elders are very much necessary.
xvii)
Provide free medical facilities in all Municipal Hospitals to
Elders.
xviii)
Celebrations of World Elder
Day, Abuse Awareness Day etc should also be at each Ward level with
Vayoshreshtha Awards.
4.
With your dynamic personality & tact of
handling all situations very efficiently, we are sure that you will do needful
quickly, sincerely and set an example on all Ministries by becoming First to
completely implementing National Policy concerning your Ministry.
5.
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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