An effective national old age policy is among the demands put forth by the Senior Citizens’ Friends Welfare Association in a memorandum to the Union government.
The association handed over the memorandum to Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar in New Delhi recently for sympathetic consideration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The memorandum seeks declaration of social security pension as a right of the elderly and amendments to the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, in light of experiences in its implementation and current requirements.
The memorandum wants a separate department in the Union government for the welfare of the elderly and a national commission for senior citizens.
Minimum pension
One of the demands of the association is a minimum old age pension of ₹5,000 for all senior citizens whose annual income is less than ₹1 lakh a year, and a minimum of ₹9,000 as EPF pension.
It seeks immediate restoration of train travel concessions for the elderly that were withdrawn during the COVID-19-induced lockdown.
A nationwide old-age census should be conducted urgently and steps taken for the care and protection of the elderly on this basis.
Steps to provide training to the elderly in digital literacy are among the demands of the association.
Association general secretary Amaravila Radhakrishna, vice-president K.A. Sarala, and joint secretary P.P. Balan presented the memorandum in the presence of MPs from the State K. Radhakrishnan, John Brittas, and Sivadasan M.P.
