Non-implementation by Central Ministries & State Governments/UTs of Various Policies decided and notified by the Government for Welfare of 12 crore Elders of the Country.

All India Senior Citizens National Protest Day- 16^th August, 2013.

                               ``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 3, 2013. 

 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 decided and notified by the Government for Welfare of 12 crore Elders of the Country.

1. As you may be aware, Government had notified National Policy for Older Persons, 99 with the approval of Cabinet on 13-2-99. It was provided in its Mandate & Policy Statement to take effective steps to improve the quality of life of all Elders, strengthen their legitimate place in society and help them to live their last spell of life with purpose, dignity and peace. Para 18 of the Policy provides 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 14 years and most of the States/UTs have not even adopted/accepted the Policy. Expectations of your 12 crore Elders promised by Government in Policy, 99 are not met with, which is considered as Elder Abuse by Government as per definition of INPEA. All Ministries of Central & State/UT governments are the apex authority of Government of India at the national/state level to formulate policies, sponsor and support programmes of the Government. It is regretted that not a single Ministry/Department of Centre and State/UT has sincerely taken any steps to act as per these provisions in Mandate & Policy Statement and on many other provisions of the Policy, 99 even after 14 full years. 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, second Solidarity Day on 16-8-11 and third Solidarity Day on 16-8-12. We have also been requesting you and others well in advance of preparation of Budgets to provide funds for our demands but 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 again 16-8-13 as National Protest Day. We have full faith in your leadership and appreciate your actions for reforming Babuldom through ``The Right of Citizens for time-bound delivery of goods & services & Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011``and keeping Vision & Mission Of your Government to facilitate pursuit of excellence in governance for the benefit of all citizens and to foster excellence in governance and pursuit of administrative reforms through improvements in government structures and processes; Promoting citizen-centric governance with emphasis on grievance redressal etc. We, therefore, request you to write personal D.O. letter and talk to each Central Minister and Chief Ministers of State/UTs in your next meeting with them to personally look in to this Policy, 99 and take immediate action on each provision of this 14 year old Policy by preparing Five Year and Annual Action Plans for their areas of function.

i)                2. Provide Separate Ministry/Department: Ministry of Social Justice is nominated as Nodal Ministry for Welfare of Elders. This Ministry deals with many subjects other than welfare of Senior Citizens and is not able to take appropriate & prompt action for welfare of Elders of the Country. We request you to give us a separate Ministry for 12 crore Senior Citizens (10% of total population, 13% of electorate and 21% of effective voters), keeping in view the likely position of having a huge population of Elders in coming years. The Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare is the nodal department for formulation of policies relating to pension and other retirement benefits of Central Govt. Apart from formulation of pension policy for the Central Govt. Pensioners/Family Pensioners, it also seeks to promote pensioners welfare and serves as a forum for the redressal of Pensioners' grievances. It has recognized many Associations of Pensioners and holds regular negotiations with them through SCOVA, provides Computer Portals and finance for that to several Associations and sends all circulars etc to Associations. Ministry of Social Justice is not creating National and State/District Associations of Older Persons (NAOP), as laid down in Policy nor recognizing any existing Associations for negotiation & dissemination of information, not even pursuing with other Ministries through Inter-Ministerial Committee, last meeting was held on 7-2-08. If separate Ministry for Senior Citizens is not possible, this nodal Ministry may be merged with Pension Ministry. Meanwhile, a separate Bureau for Senior Citizen may be created as per para 92 of National Policy, 99 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 with other subjects. Looking to the deplorable position of pending issues of Elders, it is absolutely necessary to provide independent full time Secretary, Joint Secretary, Directors etc 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)               

iii)            3. Provide Negotiating Machinery: 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 Pensioners is necessary. One of the main requirement of NPOP, 99 is wide dissemination of information to Senior Citizens and their Organizations, so that they can function as watchdog, energize continuing action, mobilize public opinion and generate pressure for implementation of Policy, as laid down in para 91.

iv)             Para 72 lays down that there will be continuous dialogue and communications with NGOs on ageing issues and on services to be provided. Para 90 provides that National Policy will be widely disseminated. Negotiation & Dissemination is completely neglected by Nodal Ministry. Separate Negotiating Machinery by recognizing existing registered Federations of Senior Citizens and separate Web Site for Senior Citizens may kindly be got implemented to help early implementation of all policies.

4. New Revised National Policy for Senior Citizens: 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 27 months. From the time Review Committee was appointed on 28-1-10, action is not being taken on provisions of NPOP, 99 nor on suggestions by Review Committee. It is necessary that New Policy is notified early. Nodal Ministry should give to each Stake Holder a list of provisions concerning them and Five Year & Annual Action Plans obtained from them for early implementation.

5. Increase Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension (IGNOAPS): As per para 25 of Policy, 99, BPL Senior Citizens were to be provided with Old Age Pension as succor and rates of monthly pension were to be revised at intervals so that inflation does not deflate its real purchasing power. Task Force by Rural Ministry has suggested to increase pension from Rs 200 to meager amount of Rs 300 p.m. from 1-4-13 to those belonging to BPL Family and not to all BPL Elders! According to your Speech on 19-11-07 for launching IGNOAP for providing a Social Safety Net for poor & vulnerable and to universalize coverage to all those who are old, poor and needy, this Old Age Pension was to be paid to all citizens above 65 (now 60) years and living below poverty line. There are no orders from your side to restrict this pension to only those belonging to BPL Family. Amount of Rs 300 is a mockery of Elders of the Country. Financial Constrains are for only helpless, ailing BPL Elders of a Highly Advanced & Financially Prosperous Country, which boasts in the ENTIRE WORLD for having RESPECT for their ELDERS!! Government spends Rs 20000 p.a. (more than Rs 1600 p.m.) for one Under Trial Prisoner and much more for convicts. Even alcoholic & drug addicts are granted Rs 900 p.m. by same Govt for food during their remaining in Anti-addict Centres! Kindly, look in to this mockery of Elders and increase the amount to Rs 2000 p.m., as demanded by Pension Parishad. Cases of 36 lakh senior citizens retired from private & public sector industries under EPF/EPS 95and similar schemes getting less than Rs 500 as monthly pension are also required to be considered sympathetically, keeping in view present inflationary position of market. The contribution of employers has to be increased from 1.16 to 8.33 for future retirees.

6. Provide Avenues of Utilization of Elders: Even after 14 years of formation of the Policy for overall upliftment of Senior Citizens in paras 20, 21, 31, 55, 78, 79 etc, nothing is done for their proper utilization. Many pensioners feel lonely and require some avenues of passing their time usefully. Ministry of Human Resource Development has to provide proper education to retired staff, which plays a significant and remedial role in balancing the socio-economic fabric of the Country. 12 crore Elders of the Country are declared as huge untapped resource (Para 78) for which facilities are to be made available to use their potentiality as per their choice.

7. Change the Attitude of Finance Ministry & Planning Commission towards Elders: Elders of the Country has labored hard to get Independence & bringing the present prosperity to the Country. Any Country forgetting this and giving step motherly treatment to their Elders, which these two departments are doing, will lead the Country nowhere! As per provisions in Policy, both these departments have to facilitate budgetary provisions required for implementation (Para 93); to provide Welfare Fund (Para 63) and facilitate various income generating activities, giving tax reliefs, ensuring proper return for investment, subsidy for insurance etc (Paras 24 to 32). Our experience for each of the provisions indicates that officials & Minister are prejudiced against Elders of the Country and not helpful at all. We shall give recent examples of this attitude. In a recent meeting held with Banks on 15-11-12, Finance Minister advised that the additional interest for senior citizens may be reasonable but not excessive. The present extra rate of interest for Elders is meager ½% , which is mockery of Elders of the Country and not at all reasonable, which was reduced to insulting ¼ % by State Bank of India due to such advice, continuing 1% extra for all Bank employees, Directors etc !! Sastry Committee`s recommendations, recommended by IRDA in their letter dt 25-5-09 for giving subsidy of Rs 2000 or so for each Medi-claim Policy of Senior Citizens is not being accepted. Planning Commission did not give funds for Old Age Homes for deserted Elders in 12^th Plan!! Kindly, fix certain % of total gross income of the Country for welfare of your Elders. Please, counsel these two departments suitably and get funds for various provisions.

8. Implementation of Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act, 2007: 10 States and 6 UTs have not yet operationalized this Act even after 6 years! Not a single State/UT has yet provided Old Age Home. No District Magistrates give wide publicity to the Act nor about Government Programmes for welfare of Elders; No State Councils nor District Committees are formed, no up to date lists of all senior citizens living in jurisdiction of each Police Station and formation of  Volunteers` Committees for each Police Station are formed, as laid down. Many States have not provided for punishments for abandoning parents; restoring right to property in cases of not taking care of parents after getting property transferred and provision of free medical care in government hospitals, as provided in Act.

9. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY): Para 2.8.3 of Report of XII Five Year Plan (2012-17) Working Group on ``Social Welfare``(October, 2011 recommended to provide insurance to the extent of Rs 1 lakh in place of existing Rs 30000. This is required to be implemented early. Moreover, present limit of 5 members in a family does not give benefit to senior citizens. RSBY is required to be modified on lines of Schemes being implemented by Maharashtra, Andhra & Tamilnadu States.

10. Create respect for Elders in the Society & Government: It is observed that Elders of the Country are not treated well in Society, as were being treated earlier-Matru Devo Bhav-Pitru Devo Bhav. Recent Help Age Report on Elder Abuse indicates this. They are treated as ``Spent Force`` by Government, which is apparent in non implementation of various notified and declared Policies. Para 15 of Policy, 99 states that State will strengthen the legitimate place of Elders in the Society. Para 18 states that Elders should have chances and opportunities to lead an active, creative, productive and satisfying life. State has to strengthen inter generational bonds and mutually supporting relationships. State has to encourage capable Senior Citizens to provide service to other senior citizens in need of help. It is necessary that the Family Support System continues to be functional to discharge its caring responsibilities, sensitizing the young on necessity & desirability of inter generational bonding etc. Each provision in Policy is important and requires highlighting by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Various provisions of Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act, 2007 about looking after Elders by Children, providing meeting places and safety by Police etc also need highlighting & propaganda by this Ministry. Radio having become less popular, programmes on all channels of Doordarshan is necessary. Cooperation of all Newspapers, private TV Channels and Bollywood etc is also absolutely necessary for creative use of entire Media for highlighting continuously the changing situations of Elders, active ageing, intergeneration bonds etc as per para 88 & 89. Only one episode of Satyamev Jayate has brought lot of awareness. Pre advertised and pre fixed slots and participation of entire Media including Bollywood, Newspapers & all TV channels are to be encouraged/instructed by I & B Ministry. Para 2.9.11 of the Report of XIIth Five Year Plan (2012-17) Working Group on Social Welfare of October, 11 reads as under: ``A weekly programme of one hour duration should be introduced in Doordarshan on various issues and concerns relating senior citizens viz health care, security, need for care & maintenance etc.`` This should be implemented early.

We have represented only 10 important issues for welfare of more than 10 crore Elders of the Country with earnest hope that Our Beloved Prime Minister, one amongst us, will make his Cabinet Members and all Chief Ministers realize the need of helping the Elders of the Country sincerely and promptly by implementing the Policies already decided and declared long ago.

We shall be obliged, if action taken is advised in terms of para 66 & 67 of Central Secretariat Manual and DOPT repeated instructions, last being 55/20/2012-P&PW© dt 18-2-13, indicating your plan of action.

Thanking You,

Yours Sincerely,

(M.V.Ruparelia)