To
Date: 15-2-13.
Kumari Selja, Hon
Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment,
Government of India, Shastri Bhavan, New
Delhi-110 001.
Respected
Madam,
Sub:
Welfare of 12 crore Elders of the Country.
1. We were happy to know your
sincere feelings for your 12 crore Elders of the Country through your inaugural
speech on the First Ever National Conference on Ageing held on 6th
& 7th November, 12. We hope that our Nodal Ministry will improve
its working under your able guidance and come up from long inertia of inaction
very early.
2.
We are shocked to get the following information
under RTI Act from Shri Surendra Rawat, Dy Secretary & CPIO under his
letter no.15-37(80)/2011-12-AG.II dt
30-1-13 received on 8-2-13, which indicates inertia prevailing in Nodal
Ministry:-
i)
No
decision is taken by Government for creation of Independent Department for
Senior Citizens: According to para 92 of National Policy, 99, a
separate Bureau for Senior Citizen was to be created but no action was taken
for last 13 years. On 14-5-12, Bureau under Shri T R Meena, Joint Secretary was
notified in Web Site, which has now been changed and Web Site gives names of 6 officers without scales and
includes officers connected with other than senior citizens-e.g. Shri Sanjeev Kumar, JS (SCD), Deptt. of SJ&E dealing
with Schedule Caste Development. Somebody is shown as concerned with BC, Work
relating to R&R of Narmada Project. Audit paras of all departments,
Administration etc etc. Unless, separate Department with adequate officers and
staff with pro-elderly attitude exclusively for Senior Citizens on par with
Nodal Ministry for Pensioners is created, no improvements can be expected in
working of Nodal Ministry.
ii)
Revised
National Policy, 2011 submitted by Review Committee on 30-3-11 is still lying without finalization even after 2 years: Review Committee was nominated on 28-1-10
and no action is being taken by Nodal Ministry on existing Policy, 99 since
that day nor it is taking prompt action to finalize New Policy. There are 38
provisions out of 98 in the Policy, 99, which require action for which detailed
write-up was sent by E/Mail on 10-1-13 to Secretary (W), Jt Secretary &
Director. In Review Committee, eminent Senior Citizens and representatives of
Central Ministry & State Representatives were nominated. Even inspite of
this, Nodal Ministry again asked each State/UT for remarks and delayed the
finalization. It is now proposed by Nodal Ministry to wait for examination by
National Council for Senior Citizens and to get remarks from all Central
Ministries before getting approval of Cabinet. Formation of New National
Council was notified on 22-2-12, but Council is not formed even after one year
of notification. Last Meeting of such Council was held on 2-11-11 and frequency
of Meeting, though laid down as 6 months, it is held after 2-3 years!! Finalization
of New Policy may thus take many more months/years to notify. Action on Policy,
99 should therefore be not stopped but expedited.
iii)
No meetings of Inter-Ministerial Committee
are held after 7-2-08:When
as many as 38 provisions of Policy, 99 are not yet implemented even after 14
years, not holding these meetings for 5 years is nothing but clear indication
that Nodal Ministry is not interested in welfare of its Elders. Nodal Ministry
is not even obtaining Annual & Five Year Action Plans from any Ministry, as
laid down in para 93 of Policy, 99.
iv)
No minutes are prepared and placed on Web
Site for last 2 Meetings of National Council held on 23-10-09 & 2-11-11: With no National Association of Senior
Citizens recognized as NAOP to function as Watch Dog to generate pressure for
implementation of Policy (paras 96 &91) and National Council made
completely ineffective by not holding Meetings every 6 months and taking no action
on its deliberations, the position of 12 crore Elders of the Country has
remained static, unproductive, unsatisfying and without any improvement in
quality of their last spell of life.
v)
Report/recommendations of the Conference
held on 6th & 7th November are said to have been sent
to concerned Ministries/Departments for appropriate action: Just, sending 44 pages of deliberations
of conference without accepting the suggestions by appropriate competent
authority and indicating who has to do what will be of no use and it will lie
with them, as Policy, 99 is lying for 14 years!! Let some one accept various
suggestions and decide modality of action-Action Plan for each suggestion.
3. We have been continuously
sending our suggestions on all important aspects of Policy, 99 for last several
years with a view to help the officers and staff to initiate proper action on
important matters and when response was not forthcoming, we even wrote the following
letters to Hon Minister on important aspects of Policy but not a single letter
to Minister is replied.
i)
15-4-10.
For special action to give wide publicity to Integrated Programmes.
ii)
27-7-10.
For taking action on various specific provisions of Policy on eve of All
India Protest Day on 16-8-10.
iii)
2-8-10. For recognition of Associations &
Separate Web Site.
iv)
15-1-11
For making Budget Provisions and early implementation of certain paras
of NPOP, 99.
v)
12-8-11.
For taking action on various specific provisions of Policies on eve of
All India Solidarity Day on 16-8-11.
vi)
11-8-12.
Memorandum for taking action on various specific provisions of Policies
on eve of All India Protest Day on 16-8-12.
These
letters were sent by Post/Speed Post & E/Mails with copy by E/Mail to
Director, joint secretary, secretary etc
but are stated to have not been received in Director`s Office and he will not
take action on copy received by him through E/Mail, unless original with
instructions are received from Minister`s Secretariat.
4.
We
brought the poor working of Nodal Ministry to the notice of New Secretary Shri Anil
Goswami under our letters dt 11-7-12, 5-10-12 and 17-10-12 with specific issues
like not replying more than 75 letters/RTI Applications/Appeals, early
formation of New National Council and pending important issues. Though, no
reply is received for any of these 3 important letters, he appears to have
taken some action in changing the dealing officer, though not known much. We
request you to strengthen the strength of Officers and Staff with pro-elder
attitude officers and get separate Bureau and separate Web Site for Senior
Citizens at an early date, so that Nodal Ministry is helpful to 12 crore Elders
of the Country and the Main Aim of the Policy declaring the Older Persons as respected Citizens
requiring strengthening of their legitimate place in the Society and to take
all actions to help them to live their last phase of life with Purpose, Dignity
and Peace is achieved early.
Thanking
You,
Yours
Sincerely,
(M.V.Ruparelia)
No comments:
Post a Comment