Indifference of Planning Commission towards Senior Citizens

Dear Friends
I am giving below an article written by Sri RN Mital, President of All
India Senior Citizens Confederation.
It is important that we should raise a unified voice against the
indifference of Planning Commission.I request you to reproduce it
extensively in your websites, blogs, discussion groups etc. Pl
circulate it among your friends. Ask them to write to the Planing
Commission to change their stance and provide meaningful
recommendations to the government.

Dr P Vyasamoorthy, 30 Gruhalakshmi Colony Secunderabad 500015 Ph
040-27846631 / 9490804278.
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Indifference of Planning Commission towards Senior Citizens

(RN Mital, President, AISCCON)

Indifferent Planning Commission - We are all aware of the fact that
the major reason for imperfect implementation by the States/UT's of
the NPOP 99 was inadequate or nil budgetary support. It happened in
spite of our repeated representations to GOI, and was largely due to
the indifference on part of the Planning Commission and the Ministry
of Finance.

Now we have another shocker: according to media reports Planning
Commission has recently turned down MOSJE's proposal of building old
age homes as mandated in the MWPSC ACT 2007. In a letter on October 30
to Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Hon'ble Kumari Selja, the
Vice Chairman of Planning Commission Sri Montek Ahluwalia has opined
that the activity to construct old age homes for indigent senior
citizens, did not fall under Central Government's domain and that it
would be appropriate if this activity is run by state governments
only.

The claim that the construction of OAH does not fall in the Central
Govt domain is not fully justified because otherwise how could Shri
Chidambram allot Rs 200Crore for assistance to States to construct OAH
in the budget for 2008 [or 09?] which was reduced to 100 Crores in
2010-11 but remained unutilized?.

In fact for the 11th 5 year plan a centrally sponsored scheme was
worked out by MOSJE to build 300 OAH at the cost of Rs 635 Crores. But
as the Planning Commission thought fit to allot only 60 crores for
this purpose the scheme was recast and it was decided to build only
100 homes within the grant available. Even this scheme was rejected by
the Commission. It is learnt that for the 12thPlan the Working group
of MOSJE recommended again 640 OAH to be established in districts at
the cost of 1680 Crores in partnership with the States which also is
not acceptable to the Commission

Most of the States neither have the political will nor resources to
take up construction of OAH in all districts unless they are helped.
This is the reason why not a single Old Age Home has come up during
the last 6 years in any district under the mandate of the above Act.

In the policy document of the 12th Plan the Commission has emphasized
that the concept of "Ageing in place" should be promoted and that the
institutional care should be the last resort. It is accepted that
"ageing in place" is a good concept but it is applicable to
comparatively the well to do category and not to the indigent senior
citizens for whom the above facilities are required.

According to a report in The Hindu on an average two old persons are
found abandoned daily in Chennai. They are abandoned on high ways, in
religious places or hospitals when their families feel that they have
become a burden. We do not have figures for the whole Country but it
must be in hundreds. The Old Age Homes are needed for them and it will
be very unfortunate if funds even for this activity are denied by the
Planning Commission. It is nothing but sheer neglect of the Senior
Citizens in our Country.

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