Jammu, Aug 8: The successive state governments have over the years been quite  insensitive towards the welfare and well being of the senior citizens for these have failed to introduce the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act-2007 in the state.
 While the government makes tall claims of having series of schemes for the poor and elderly people in the state, it has failed to adopt the Act in the state which protects the parents from the indifference of their wards when they attain old age.
 The act passed by the Parliament in 2007 makes it mandatory for the children of the abandoned parents to pay for their maintenance.
 Under the act, parents and grand parents who are unable to maintain themselves from their own income can demand maintenance from their children.
 “Maintenance includes provision for food, clothing, medical attendance and treatment. Maximum amount which may be ordered for the maintenance of a senior citizen by the tribunal shall be such as prescribed by the state government which shall not exceed Rs 10,000 per month”, said a social worker Suman Kapil.
 Under the act the state governments had to constitute maintenance tribunals and appellate tribunals in all Sub-Divisional and States within six months of the commencement of this act.
 Officials said if the act will be passed in the state, tribunals will get power to conduct summary trials for maintenance and allowing elderly people to seek maintenance either under this act or under the provision of the Criminal Procedure Code 1973.
 State Government then has to establish and maintain sufficient senior citizen homes for the indigent or abandoned and neglected people. Apart from this it will be duty of the government to establish specific medical facilities, allocate doctors, hospital beds, expand treatment for chronic, terminal and degenerative diseases and conduct research on the ailments generally affecting the elderly
 “Central Government has come to the rescue of the elderly and has brought about the act for more effective provisions for the maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens, but in J&K it has been deliberately neglected”, said an official from the social welfare department.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 8 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 8 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 9 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST