INDIA: Only 7 states notify Act for senior citizens’ welfare

NEW DELHI (The Statesman), August 29, 2008: The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, enacted for the welfare of the elderly, and published in the Gazette of India on 31 December last year, has been notified by just seven states. These are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Assam and Tripura. As the International Day of Older Persons approaches on 1 October, the social justice and empowerment minister, Mrs Meira Kumar, has reminded chief ministers of the remaining states to expedite notifying the Act. Unless the Act is notified, its provisions can not be enforced in a state. The minister said the notification of the law would be the “best gift” for the senior citizen-population on the International Day. At a national consultative meet on “Safeguarding Rights of the Elderly in India,” the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Ms Geeta Mittal, highlighted the need for spreading awareness and sensitisation among youth to respect elders. The meet noted that there was a steady rise in the population of older persons in the country. Majority of the elders were exposed to emotional neglect and to lack of physical and financial support. Under the Act, children will be obliged to maintain their parents in such a manner that they lead “a normal life”. Statesman News Service