Support for Aged Parents Abandoned by their Children (India)

Friends of police rise to rescue abandoned elderly

By RAJ KUMAR & SANTOSH K. KIRO

Ranchi, Feb. 8: Aged parents neglected by their children will now have a pillar of support. Friends of Police (FoP) — a body of citizens formed by Ranchi police — will conduct a survey to find senior citizens who are victims of domestic discord. Punishment under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, will be meted out to the guilty children. FoP convener Manoj Kumar said that the decision was taken to enforce the act that pronounces punishment for callous children who consider aged parents a burden. The act, he said, empowered voluntary organisations to intervene in cases of atrocity. “We took the decision at a meeting at the A.R.K Marketing complex beside Lalpur police station today. Over 150 FoPs were present at the meeting. This is the first time the organisation has taken such a decision,” Kumar said. The decision to come to the rescue of senior citizens is the need of the hour, he said, and over 200 FoPs would extend their selfless service. He said that the organisation would solve the matter with minimum interference from the police. More than a year ago, the state government had implemented the act, but the social welfare department, which is supposed to ensure its implementation, has not yet received any complaint. One reason behind this is that the state, which was to constitute bodies where the elderly can lodge their complaints, has not done much. The act calls for formation of maintenance tribunals in each sub-division, to be headed by an officer not below the rank of sub-divisional officer. The deputy commissioner is the appellate authority in districts. But government authorities responsible for the proper implementation of the act have done little in this regard. “To my knowledge, no elderly has ever taken his problem to the government,” said Shatrughan Gupta, who runs Vanaprastha, a old-age home in Ranchi. “The act has been implemented but only on paper. This is unfortunate,” said Arun Kumar Pandey, the working president of the Senior Citizens’ Association Jharkhand. Police officers have welcomed the decision. “It is good that citizens will help neglected parents and guardians,” an officer at Kotwali police station said.

Abridged

SOURCE:    Calcutta Telegraph

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