New Delhi, October 6
The Supreme Court (SC) has asked states and union territories to furnish information on pension, old age homes and geriatric care schemes for the welfare of the elderly.
Demand for more old age homes
In his petition, former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar demanded that an adequate number of old age homes be established in the country and directions be given to maintain and operate such homes to enable the elderly live life with dignity.
Acting on a PIL filed by former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, a Bench led by Justice Aniruddha Bose asked them to file status reports regarding the implementation of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act.
The Bench, which also included Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, asked them to furnish the requisite information to the advocate-on-record of the Central Government who shall file a revised status report within one month thereafter. The top court would take up the matter in January next year.
“Let copies of this order be sent by the Registry to the Chief Secretary of each state and the union territory for onward compliance of the directions contained in this order,” the top court said in its directions.
In his petition, Kumar had said there were a large number of aged people; most of whom were living in poverty, without any roof over their heads or proper clothes, food and budgetary allocation for their welfare was also paltry. He demanded that an adequate number of old age homes be established in the country and direction be given to maintain and operate such homes to enable the elderly live their life with dignity.
The top court had earlier issued certain directions in 2018. It had said there was a need to continuously monitor the progress in the implementation of the constitutional mandate to make available to the elderly the right to live with dignity and to provide them with reasonable accommodation, medical facilities and geriatric care.
