To Date: 9-1-2012.
Shri Monteksingh Ahluwalia,
Dy Chairman, Planning Commission
Yojna Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi. 110001.
Sub: Provision of funds for Senior Citizens of India in the forth coming Budget.
1. Planning Commission was kind enough to take deep interest in welfare of Elders of the Country and had deputed some Members to various places in December, 2010 to consult various Organizations and individuals. We had submitted a detailed note to Shri Abhijit Sen on 7-12-10 at TISS, Mumbai. It is understood that Ministry of Social Justice has also sent details of various schemes required for Elders.
2. You will agree with the fact that elders have waited for years on end to get attention from our rulers but all that we have received is indifference towards our issues. While we are keen to play our role in the development of our Country and the activities for the welfare of community, we also demand that our concerns must be addressed. In the year 2010, on 16th August 2010, we (JAC) had organized All India ‘Senior Citizens National PROTEST Day’. Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Senior Citizens was formed by 23 Organization/ Federations, Associations, NGOs working for Senior Citizens to protest against continuous neglect and ignorance by the Central & State government. In the year 2011 also on 16th August,2011, we have obseved ‘ Senior Citizens National Solidarity Day ‘ to once again highlight our issues and to demand concrete action from Central and State governments. We regret to point out that no action is taken and action on NPOP, 99 is kept pending by all Stake Holders from the date Review Committee was appointed on 28-1-10 till to-day, as no New Policy is notified till date i.e. for TWO FULL YEARS!
3. We shall be grateful, if proper provision is made in the forthcoming Budget for the following most needed schemes for welfare of our Elders in the year 2012-13:-
i) Creation of Independent Full-fledged Department for Welfare of Senior Citizens at Centre & State/UT levels: The present nominated Nodal Directorate of Social Justice dealing with various subjects is not able to devote any time to the issues pertaining to Senior Citizens. You will be surprised to know that Inter-Ministerial Committee Meetings for coordinating action by various Ministries are not held regularly even once in a year and no follow up is done; Meetings of NCOP with representatives of Senior Citizens are also not held, as required and there is absolutely no control/coordination with States/UTs and other Stake Holders like Media, Charitable Trusts, Private Hospitals; NGOs, Corporate Sector etc by Nodal Directorate and concerned Ministries. Position at State/UTs level is still worst, as no Directorate/Nodal officers are exclusively nominated. Proper funds for separate Directorates at Central & State/UTs level may please be provided.
ii) Formation of Autonomous National Association of Senior Citizens at Centre, State & District levels as per para 97 of NPOP,99: In absence of such a recognized body of Senior Citizens, there is no proper negotiating between Elders & concerned Government Public Authorities and interest of 10% of population is just ignored for 13 years and many provisions of NPOP, 99 remain unattended. To-day, there is no machinery to listen the voices of Senior Citizens or to get information of what Government is doing for their Elders. Even the Nodal Ministry has no touch with any of the existing Registered Associations of Senior Citizens. If there are any difficulties in creating new Associations, recognition may be given to existing Registered Associations with laid down financial aids to strengthen & streamline their working with proper buildings & infra structures.
iii) Funds for full implementation of ‘The Maintenance & Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens ACT -2007’: Many States have not provided Tribunals and Old men’s Homes in every District so far even after 5-6 years.
iv) Funds for National Commission for Senior Citizens: As the Longevity is increasing; there is dramatic rise in number of people above 60 yrs. Today, there are around 100 million Senior Citizens in India. To address various issues and grievances, especially elder abuse cases, a National Commission for Senior Citizens on the lines of Human Right and Women commission is requested with representation form NGOs and Senior Citizens Organizations.
v) Funds for National policy for Dementia and Alzheimer’s may also be provided.
vi) Funds for Fast Implementation of National Programme for the Healthcare of the Elderly (NPHCE) may please be made. Ministry of Railways may also be allotted sufficient funds for this for retired Railway Employees.
vii) Funds for Welfare Fund to be created by Ministry of Finance may please be provided.
viii) Funds for Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension may please be provided, keeping in view the following aspects;-
a) As per latest reports, 37% belong to BPL category and much higher % as lower income group. Level of income security provided to BPL at present is Rs 200 from Central Govt& similar amount or more from State/UT concerned. Monthly Pension of Rs 400 or near about is a mockery of human beings and in view of recent development, Human Rights Commission may force the Government to keep this Pension sufficiently high to keep the old human beings to survive! Government spends Rs 20000 p.a. for one under trial prisoner and much more for convicts, whereas helpless BPL Senior Citizens, who are fragile and sickly due to ageing, are paid Rs 400 p.m. in some places and many States/UTs are not giving a single pie! Even alcoholic & drug addicts are granted Rs 900 p.m. by same Govt for food during their remaining in Anti-addict Centres!
b) Again, it is compulsory for getting advantage of this meager pension to get included in the list of families below poverty line of the State concerned. The procedure for inclusion of name in the category of Below Poverty Line laid down by Rural Ministry is very cumbersome. No such guidelines are issued by Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation for classifying an urban citizen as BPL and Committee nominated by Planning Commission for this has not given their report yet.. As against almost 4 crore BPL Senior Citizens, payment of IGNOA Pension is made to 90.76 lakhs BPL Senior Citizens only as per figures give by Ministry of Rural Development i.e. to 22%, mainly due to this complicated method of Rural Ministry.
c) 13 socio-economic parameters may be useful to Ministry Of Rural Development for launching a particular scheme in a particular village or for a particular family but in no way can help in deciding the eligibility to pay megre monthly Pension to Senior Citizens of 60 & above having megre income or staying hand to mouth in their last spell of life. How far such house to house survey applying 13 complicated parameters having 4 different scoring can be useful to decide eligibility for monthly Pension to Senior Citizens? There is no necessity of targeting Senior Citizens neither for paying IGNOAPS nor to fix their interse eligibility. More over, such guidelines go on changing for every Five Year Plan Period. Best way may be to hand over this work to Ministry of S.J. & E., abolishing the necessity of condition of belonging to BPL family. Considering the poverty lines of each State, a financial income limit per month or per annum should be fixed for paying this megre Pension to Senior Citizens irrespective of their family income.
d) Amount of monthly Pension should be fixed by taking into account present economic condition of the Country having more than 1.7 lakh Indians having more than 5 crore worth assets and topping in first few richest persons in the World; GDP; Per Capita Income of Indian Citizen; rates of minimum wages; minimum pay & pension given recently to Government employees etc in place of present complicated method of 13 parameters and meager pension of Rs 400 p.m.!! Limits adopted by Delhi Govt should be adopted for making provision of funds. Para 25 of NPOP, 99 lays down that rate of monthly pension will need to be revised at intervals (6 monthly as per Dearness index of Govt employees) so that inflation does not deflate its real purchasing power. Senior Citizens in BPL category are weaker financially, physically and socially more discarded by family, society &Govt than all groups included in Disadvantaged Group as well as Women, Children, handicapped etc. All funds provided for such sections of Society should be increased or separately provided for BPL Senior Citizens for all purposes applicable to Senior Citizens.
ix) Sufficient Funds may be provided for Integrated Programmes for each State/Ut separately and allotted to them instead of Ministry of Social Justice with clear instructions and targets to provide these Integrated Schemes in each Ward of Municipality/Panchayat institutes through them.
x) Funds for giving higher rate of interest of 2% to Senior Citizens for their savings in all instruments.
xi) Funds for Health Insurance for all categories of Senior citizens.
xii) Funds for creating avenues for utilization of Senior Citizens.
We shall be thankful, if necessary provision of funds, as above, are got made in the forthcoming Budget and lives of your Elders is improved, as envisaged by UNO in The Economic and Social Council resolution 2010/14 for their Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA REVIEW), 2011.
Thanking you,
Yours Sincerely,
(M.V.Ruparelia)
Copy forwarded to Shri Pranab Mukherji, Minister of Finance, North Block, New Delhi-110001.
Copy Forwarded to Shri Mukul Wasnik, Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi-110001.
No comments:
Post a Comment