Dear
Friend, Date: 20-3-14.
Sub: VII
th Pay Commission- Suggestions for other than Pay.
As number
of retired employees is increasing day by day and a Day is not far away, when
retired staff will outnumber the serving employees, it is necessary for us to
get proper facilities from our employers for retired staff, keeping in view
present day requirements of elder persons. Rules framed by various Ministries
for retired staff are very old and were framed, when there were a few surviving
retired staff and their requirements were almost negligible. Time has changed
and life span has increased tremendously and due to economic progress of the
country, requirements of elder persons have also increased. Various Ministries
are reluctant to give more facilities to the retired staff and not prepared to
change their existing rules for retired staff. It is therefore necessary that
we approach VIIth Pay Commission to provide various facilities, as declared by
the Government in 4 National Policies for welfare of senior citizens viz NPOP,
99; IPOP; Maintenance Act, 2007 & NPHCE, as retired staff do not prefer to
go to other agencies for such benefits. For this, I enclose my earlier Note dt
30-7-13 to you and request to consider adding these requirements in your
suggestions to VII th Pay Commission.
Dear Friend,
Date. 30-7-13.
Sub: Help of SCOVA for implementation of Provisions of NPOP,
99 & M&WPSC Act, 2007, useful to Pensioners also.
1. 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.
Government has notified a National Policy for Older Persons, 99 with the
approval of Cabinet, which gives mandate and Policy Statement for being
followed by all Ministries/departments of Government to make effective
provisions to improve the quality of life of all Elders including Pensioners,
strengthen their legitimate place in society and help them to live their last
spell of life with purpose, dignity and peace. Please, see paras 12 to 23 of
Policy, 99, which are for all Ministries. The Department of Pension & Pensioners'
Welfare is the nodal department for formulation of policies relating to pension
and other retirement benefits of Central Govt. employees covered under CCS
(Pension) Rules, 1972. 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. You are therefore requested to consider
the following aspects, affecting large number of pensioners and get them solved by Pension Department
through SCOVA, as necessary.
2.
Each Ministry must look after its retired
employees and give them all facilities like medical, use of clubs/welfare
centres/holiday homes etc as given to working employees, concessions in fare of
all transport systems, tourist guest houses etc. All Ministries must give
preference to representations from Pensioners and other Senior Citizens. They should
provide Welfare Fund for retired staff on lines with Staff Benefit Fund of
Railways, as provided for serving employees. Their retired employees should be
called in celebrations of all their functions open for serving employees to
maintain contact and encouraging them to participate in such gatherings to help
them inter act with others, overcome loneliness and give them their legitimate
place in society. World Elder Day on 1st October etc every year
should be celebrated by all Ministries at all places having concentration of
retired employees, facilitating interaction between old & young and
strengthen bonds between different age groups. Comprehensive circular from
Pension Ministry to all Ministries will go a long way to get some facilities to
retired staff.
3.
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 by Government of India with approval of Cabinet on 13-2-99 in
National Policy, 99 (Para 78) for which facilities are to be made available to
use their potentiality as per their choice. This Ministry must develop this
untapped resource of the Country for last spell of their life and provide
avenues for utilization of this experienced vast human force of 12 crore
Elders. Special programmes are required to be designed, so that they can
enrich and update their knowledge, integrate tradition with contemporary needs
and transmit more effectively the Socio-Cultural heritage to school children and
youths. As per para 81 of Policy, 99, programmes are to be developed to promote
family values, sensitize the young on the necessity & desirability of
inter-generational bonding and continuity of meeting filial obligations of
children. Loneliness created due to no developmental programmes by this
Ministry is creating a very big Social Problem in the entire Country. Just
as employment guarantee is provided to rural population by enacting Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and Bharat Nirman etc, Urban Senior Citizens
should also be provided ample avenues of employment by passing suitable
Act/ordinance and increasing retirement age etc.
4. As
pensioners find it difficult to procure proper houses after retirement and face
various difficulties due to no facilities being given by
Municipalities/Panchayats, it is necessary to convince Ministries of Housing,
Urban Development and Panchayati Raj Institutes to implement the following:
i) Para 48 of the Policy lays down that Housing
Schemes will earmark 10% of the houses, house sites for Elders. Elders will be
given easy access to loans for purchase of houses, repairs etc.
ii)
As
per para 49, layout of housing colonies will have to respond to the life style
of Elders etc.
iii)
Para 50 encourages Group Housing for Elders.
iv)
Para 61expects grants in aid to voluntary organizations for providing
subsidized housing to poor elders.
v)
Para 82 expects policies to encourage younger generation to co-reside
with elders and to be given preference in allotment of houses, NGOs to be
encouraged to provide in-house service to elders etc. There is necessity of
proper provisions for poverty alleviation of Elders in urban areas etc.
vi)
Para 97 lays down that Panchayati Raj Institutions (Municipalities
included) 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.
vii)
Municipalities are required to provide a) Day Care Centres etc as
per Integrated Programme of Ministry of S.J.& E. in each ward to enable
pensioners and other senior citizens to pass
time with their fellowmen. b) Constitute Ward Councils for consultations for
Civic Problems by appointing seniors of the area, preferably from local
association. c) Provide Community Buildings for welfare activities for all
citizens, giving separate space for seniors, arranging inter generation
activities with students, youths etc. d) Provide avenues for part time jobs,
honorary utilization by giving training, as necessary. e) 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). f) 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 built up place for
Associations of Senior Citizens. g) 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. h) Creating awareness amongst elders of each ward about
facilities given and available by all agencies-government as well as corporate
& private bodies, NGOs etc. i) Concessions in fares in Municipal Transport
with free travel for very elder ladies, toll tax etc. j) Footpaths with handles, Zebra Crossings etc
should be provided.
Hospitals: As Hospitals are under Municipalities, the following may
also be provided by Municipalities/Panchayats:
k) Separate ques at present are formed in
Municipal Hospitals only for taking out case paper and elders have to be in
common que for going to Doctor of Faculty concerned and for medicines.
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.
l) Separate
Health Care Units for Senior Citizens, as envisaged by Ministry of Health &
F.W. in National Programme for Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE). m) Geriatric Units
in Hospitals attached to Medical Colleges as per NPHCE and Physiotherapy Units
at CHE as per NPHCE. n) 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. o) 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. p) Counseling
Centres for Elders are very much necessary. q)
Provide free medical facilities in all Municipal Hospitals to Elders.
r) Celebrations of World Elder Day, World
Elder Abuse Awareness Day etc should also be at each Ward level with
Vayoshreshtha Awards.
viii)
Although CGHS facility
exists for many pensioners, there is need for better medical facilities by each
Ministry. The following major activities proposed under National
Programme for Health Care of Elderly should be provided by Ministries like
Railways, Defence etc having independent Medical Facilities and included in
CGHS scheme:
A) Development of 30 bedded health care units for
Elderly Persons in 25 Medical Colleges in the Country. (Such Units, as
necessary depending on number of Elders in an area may be provided in Zonal
Hospitals).
B) Development of 10 bedded Geriatric Units at District
Hospitals in 100 districts of the Country @ 4 districts attached to each
Medical College.(Such Units can be provided in Divisional Hospitals).
C) Development of Physiotherapy Unit at all the CHCs.
D) Weekly once OPD
for Elderly for specialist-consultations and arrangement for Health Melas at
the level of PHCs.
E) Involvement of ASHA at Community Level.
F) As regards the NIAs, these should be the apex referral
institutes. Basic aim of these institutes will be development of specialized
manpower, research in gerontology and patient care.
G) Health Ministry has started accreditation
of Hospitals and Health Providers to ensure better medical service to Senior
Citizens.
H) Director General of Health Services
has carried out projects on training of health manpower as well as developing
training modules on geriatrics for different health functionaries for the
purpose of providing training.
I) As regards provision of geriatric wards in all the
hospitals, article 20 of
`` Maintenance and Welfare of Parents & senior Citizens
Act, 2007`` directs to provide beds for all senior citizens as far as possible.
J) One of the
important components of NPHCE is information, communication and education.
Strategy should be devised to increase awareness of the community in respect of
the role of balanced diet, proper exercise, yoga etc in prevention and control
of diseases.
6. The following provisions, if got implemented, will be
beneficial to Pensioners also:-
i) Para 35: To expand the health services in various
Railways, Defence and CGHS hospitals/dispensaries for preventive,
rehabilitative and geriatric care facilities for retired employees as per
NPHCE.
ii) Para 39: To issue instructions at yearly intervals for
separate ques for retired employees for case papers, going to various doctors
and medicines and to ensure its implementation by monitoring and/or reiterating
instructions in all Government & Municipal Hospitals, as at present these
instructions are not followed at many places. In most of the Municipal &
State Hospitals, separate que is provided only for case paper. Geriatric wards
should be set up in all Government/Municipal Hospitals.
iii) Para 40, 41, 86: To issue instructions for training of
Doctors & other Para-Medical staff for proper care and respect for retired
employees. To provide Mobile
care and hospice care for bed ridden employees in various hospitals.
iv) Para 42 & 43: To issue instructional/guidance/nutritional
material on self care of retired employees.
v) Para 44 & 45: To issue instructions to promote
healthy ageing amongst the retired staff. To issue instructions to treat their
retired elders properly and to educate them for healthy ageing and to provide
facilities of yoga, meditation etc. There should be proper education programs
for retired staff and they should be taken on Advisory Committees to bring out
difficulties faced by them in getting treatment, keeping in view the spirit of
NPOP, 99. Repeated orientation training and instructions to treat retired staff
with respect by Doctors and staff are necessary.
vi) Para 46: To provide Counseling facilities in various
hospitals.
vii) Para 68: a) To give 50% concession to all Senior Citizens, as by Air & State Road Transport without
distinguishing between Gents & Ladies in all transports, Holiday Homes,
Tourist Homes etc.
b) No quota is fixed
for reservation for Senior Citizens in many of the transport systems, including
Railways, though large quotas are given for ladies, handicaps, military &
VIPs. Senior Citizens above 70-75 are more vulnerable than handicaps and
ladies. More quotas may be given.
b) In suburban trains also, not only some compartments but
entire trains are reserved for ladies but Senior Citizens are denied a small
separate coach in IInd Class compartments and some seats in 1st
Class compartments, as given to handicaps. Separate Entrance in existing coach
by blocking one side will serve the purpose. With the deteriorating health
condition, when they are required to go to doctors, consultants, Hospitals etc
in the morning for pathological tests, they are facing hardships and as such,
they should be provided separate coach/ separate entrance or permitted to go in
coaches/trains reserved for ladies & handicaps in all suburban, Metro
trains.
viii) Para 68: All
Ministries/Departments are having large number of Holiday Homes, Rest Houses,
Convalescent Homes etc but retired staff are not given concessions in rent
though provision of this para provides for concession to Senior Citizens.
Railways are charging 1 ½ times to what is charged to serving employees.
ix) Para 70: Each Ministry is having big Publicity Department and issue large
number of advertisements for various purposes but no efforts are made by any
Ministry to highlight the issues
pertaining to their retired staff every year on 1st October and call
them on that occasion for Get-Together and meeting each other and know about
their problems etc. Existing Welfare Branches at Ministry as well as local
levels can be instructed to do needful, as envisaged in various paras of the
Policy.
x) Para 73: All Ministries are having well organized and
Efficient Negotiating Machinery, except Ministry of Social Justice for Senior
Citizens. They may be pursued to have continuous dialogue with Pensioners`
Associations and NGOs doing welfare of Senior Citizens of their departments and
recognize/encourage Associations of Senior Citizens by giving accommodation,
place for their meetings etc. Those having Welfare Centres, clubs etc, these
can be allowed for retired staff & their Association of Senior Citizens.
xi) Para 76: All Ministries can encourage participation of
retired staff in their various programmes. They can also provide Colonies for
Retired Staff with basic facilities.
xii) Para 78 & 79: Having worked, retired staff has
specialized in their field and are well trained to tackle various works
efficiently. All Ministries need trained staff in different circumstances and
also during vacation period, there is lot of absenteeism. Retired staff should
be engaged freely without any age restriction and this will enrich & update
their knowledge and help them to avoid loneliness and helpful financially.
xiii) Para 93: Annual Plan & Five Year Plan for
implementing various provisions of the Policy are required to be prepared by
each Ministry. This will help them implement various provisions of Policy
pertaining to them expeditiously.
xiv) Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior
Citizens Act, 2007 requires each District Magistrates to ensure regular &
wide publicity of the provisions of the Act and all programmes of welfare of
senior citizens by Central & State governments. If this is got done,
pensioners of the area will be bbenifited a lot. State Councils and District
Committees legislated in the Act will also give lot of advantages to
pensioners.
xv) Each Police Station is required to have up to date list
of all senior citizens including pensioners in that area, provide toll free
help line and constitute Volunteers Committees. If this is got done, many
pensioners will be benefited.
