Pursue Your Municipalities to provide this:

Pursue Your Municipalities to provide this:                                M.V.Ruparelia.              

1.    Government of India had announced National Policy on Older Persons, 1999 on 13-2-99 with the approval of Cabinet. This document is masterpiece containing all aspects of Elders` 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. Working Group on ``Social Welfare``(October, 2011) for XIIth Five Year Plan has laid down that all Panchayats/Municipalities must come forward & take advantage of financial assistance for various projects under the Scheme of Integrated Programme and provide various schemes in their areas. Each Civic Body must earmark at least 5% fund from their untied funds for welfare activities of senior citizens. Every Civic Body must play a lead role in disbursement of various welfare programmes/schemes for senior citizens. They should create Single Window for all benefits to senior citizens. They should provide Recreation Facilities like Community Centres with television, library, yoga centre etc. They should actively initiate awareness generation & sensitization programme regarding need for well being, safety & rights of senior citizens in schools & colleges.

2.      Forums for discussion: Para 97 provides that Municipalities 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. Civic Bodies will mobilize the talents & skills of older persons & draw up plans for utilizing them at local level. District Councils laid down in Rules framed by States under Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act, 2007 are also not established. Arrangements are required to be made to obtain details of all Registered Associations/Organizations working for senior Citizens in their areas and instructions should be issued to all Departments concerned in main office of Municipality and Ward Officers to hold regular consultations with local Associations of Senior Citizens and endorse copy of all circulars/instructions affecting elders to these Organizations. Similar list should be available with each Ward Officer for their jurisdiction. Meetings, Seminars etc should be held for inter action with elders periodically.

3.     Integrated Programmes for Older Persons (IPOP)- Revised Scheme effective from 1-4-2008: This programme for Elders is in respect of providing 16 schemes like Day Care Centres etc. Para 6 of the Revised Scheme has made Panchayati Raj Institutions & Local Bodies as main implementing Agencies. Each Local Body must make out a time bound programme for each ward to provide these Welfare Schemes, as 90% of recurring & non-recurring expenditure will be borne by Ministry of Social Justice, Delhi.

4.     Celebrating International Day of Older Persons (IDOP):  All Local Bodies must observe this Day on 1^st October every year. ``World Awareness Day of Abuse of Older Persons`` on 15^th June is also required to be celebrated. These celebrations will create proper atmosphere of Respect for Elders in the Society.

5.     Vayoshestha Sanmans:  Nodal Ministry has given a list of 10 Sanmans given by them every year, which they give in celebration of IDOP. All Local Bodies should also give similar Sanmans on World Elders Day to Senior Citizens of their areas.

6.     Policy provides that Local Bodies will lay down model instructions for builders for providing various facilities keeping in view ageing & lifestyle requirements of elders in all buildings, specially to ensure that no physical barriers to their mobility exist, 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).

7.     Local Bodies must provide more Nana-Nani Parks and separate earmarking for seniors in existing gardens with sufficient benches, zoolas & other facilities.

8.     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 and visit them occasionally.

9.      Creating awareness amongst elders of each ward about facilities given and available by all agencies-govt, municipalities as well as corporate & private bodies, NGOs etc.

10.  Concessions in Municipal buses fares with free travel for very elder ladies, toll tax etc should also be considered.

11.   Footpaths with handles, Zebra Crossings etc should be provided in all areas also.

12.   Hospitals: As many Hospitals are under Municipalities, the following should be provided:

i)                 Separate ques at present are formed in Municipal Hospitals only for taking out case paper and senior citizens 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.

ii)               Separate Health Care Units for Senior Citizens are required to be provided, as envisaged by Ministry of Health & F.W. in National Programme for Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE).

iii)                Geriatric Units in Hospitals attached to Municipal Medical Colleges as per NPHCE and Physiotherapy Units at CHE as per NPHCE should be provided.

iv)              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.

v)                As all Old Men Homes do not keep immobile seniors, Local Bodies may consider providing Old Men Homes exclusively for immobile elders, just as they provide Night Shelters for homeless citizens.

vi)              Counseling Centres for Elders are very much necessary.

vii)           Provide free medical facilities in all Municipal Hospitals to Elders.