Sri RN Mital and DR KR Gangadharan honored
Five Senior Citizens were honored for their services to the elderly during the inaugural function of Retirement Expo 2011 held in Hyderabad on 22nd November. Sri RN MItal, Dr KR Gangadharan are among those well known to Senior Citizens Community already.
Dr Gangadharan was abroad and his daughter took the award. Others included: Sri Gelli Narayan Shetty, aged 104, was also honored. He did not look his age at all. He spoke very clearly, lucidly and to the point. An erstwhile Kurnool Collector, a fighter for pensioners rights - he was applauded by one and all. Third one was Dr BK Sahai who has done immense work on diabetes and seniors. The fifth one was Sri Muknda Rao, a Florida based 'liberated' man. He is an UN adviser. Please join me in congratulating all of them.
The function started sharp at announced time though Chief Guest, Justice Sbhashan Reddy arrived some 45 minutes late.
Sheilu Srreenivasan Founder of Dignity Foundation, Ms Janaki Raman of Vision India, Ms Shalinili Mishra of Rajiv Swagruha, Dr Manmohan Singh Chief Secretary Govt of AP Housing, and others spoke. Sheilu Sreenivasan explained in detail how the senior citizens community is a totally neglected lot. When speaker after speaker spoke of a warm welcome, it was indeed a very hot welcome, as Sun was not at all favorable to any.
The expo was targeted at 30 million elders who need and can pay on their own, for customized services & products specially designed for this age group. It was dominated by Real Estate big wigs developing gated communities like: Saket, Covai properties, Paranjape / Athasri, Dignity, Concept Homes etc. Some finance related firms like Ing Vysya, Canara -Oriental Bank, Bajaj Allianze, SBH, SBI etc also had their stalls. In heath sector only Vasan Eyecare and in Mobility Devices only one company - Callidai Motors (motorized wheel chairs) took part. Second career sector (in which I was most interested) was conspicuous by its absence altogether.
Perhaps because the Expo was intended for the rich and affluent group of senior citizens, it was in a held in a star hotel in Banjara Hills. I understood that about 300 persons visited the expo.
Story filed by Dr P Vyasamoorthy
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