Fwd: Event held in Chennai on 16th August 2013

Here is a report from Chennai.

Nearly 100 people attended.

TEN Resolutions passed and taken up for action.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rajasekaran Doraiswamy <rajasekaran.doraiswamy@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Aug 17, 2013 at 4:48 PM
Subject: Event held in Chennai on 16th August 2013
To: Padmanabha Vyasamoorthy <vyasamoorthy@gmail.com>

Dear Mr. Vyasamoorthy,

The Protest Day was observed  in Chennai as programmed on 16th August.

Representatives of the Affiliates of the Federation of Senior Citizens of Tamilnadu assembled at the foot of the Visveswariah Tower and marched to the meeting venue at the North East end of the Tower Park in a procession lead by Mr. D. Rajasekaran, President FOSCATAN and Mr. V. Veerabadran President of TANSECA. Over 100 senior citizens took part in the procession including Dr. Captain Singaraja, Vice-President -I, FOSCATAN, Mr. K. Venkatachari, Vice-President-II, FOSCATAN, and Mr. A. Raju, General Secretary of FOSCATAN.

The participants carried placards displaying some of our long pending demands and the banners of their respective Association. Press photographers have taken pictures of the procession

In the meeting that followed, Capt Singaraja explained in detail the issues that we have been agitating about. He pointed out how the NPOP formulated in 1999 is remaining unimplemented for the past 14 years.

Dr. R. Thilagaraj, HOD, Department of Criminology, University of Madras, spoke about the various aspects of Elder Abuse and Crimes committed against Elders. Senior Citizens had become soft targets of criminals and anti social elements. They were also victims of many forms of abuse. Very often the abuse occurred within the home  and the offender was the elder`s own family member. He said the Madras University will be shortly holding a one-day seminar to discuss the problem threadbare and invited the senior citizens to attend it in large numbers. 

Earlier Mr. Veerabadran, President, TANSECA welcomed the gathering and said that the necessity to hold a protest day had arisen because of the indifference shown by our Centre and State Governments  to the problems of senior citizens.Ordinary representations have not had any effect and senior citizens had therefore to come out in the open to express their feelings.. 

Dr. Rajalakshmi, Secretary of TANSECA introduced the Chief Guest Dr. Thilagaraj to the audience.

Mr. D. Rajasekaran, President of FOSCATAN  moved the following ten resolutions which were adopted unanimously. He said that the resolutions would be sent to the concerned governments for their attention

.

Resolution 1: This meeting urges the Central Government to publish the Mohin Giri Committees Draft of the Revised National Policy on Older Persons submitted two years ago and take steps to implement its recommendations.

Resolution 2. This meeting urges the expeditious implementation of the MWPSC Act  2007 by such of those States which have not yet notified it in their States. It also urges the States which have notified it to set up the required machinery to implement it.

Resolution 3. This meeting urges that the minimum pension available under NPS 95 scheme  be raised o Rs. 3000 p.m.

Resolution 4   This meeting urges the pension payable under the I.G.O.A. P be raised to Rs. 2000

Resolution 5. This meeting urges the Central Government to make it mandatory to for Insurance Companies to provide health insurance cover to senior citizens at affordable premiums. The policies should be offered without restrictive clauses regarding age of entry and existing illnesses should not be a disqualification.

Resolution 6.This meeting urges the Central and the State governments to create separate ministries/departments for looking after the welfare of senior citizens.

Resolution 7. This meeting urges the Tamilnadu Government to implement early its proposal to construct one old age home in each and every district of the State. Norms should be prescribed for the homes and a regulatory body set up to ensure that the norms are adhered to by the government homes as well as homes in the private sector.

Resolution 8 This meeting urges the Central government to enhance the rail fare concession to male senior citizens from 40 to 50% bringing it on par with that being given to female senior citizens.

Resolution 9 This meeting urges  the T.N. State Government to grant fare concession to senior citizens for travel in city as well as district buses.

Resolution 10. This meeting urges the T. N. State Government to provide geriatric care  in all its hospitals. Geriatric physicians should be appointed in all PHCs and geriatric wards opened in all hospitals from the district level on wards.