HYDERABAD: Citing lack of unity among associations and unions espousing the cause of senior citizens in the state as reason for non-implementation of The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, and The Andhra Pradesh Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Rules, 2011, members of the newly-formed Telangana State Senior Citizens Association have called for support from all elderly persons to achieve their long-pending demands.
The newly-formed body will hold its first executive meeting at Vanitha Mahavidyalaya at Exhibition Grounds, Nampally on December 11 to discuss the issues.
“There are close to 150 associations of senior citizens in Hyderabad and many more across Telangana. The issues we face have not been represented to the state government appropriately and our aim is to do that,” said P Narasimha Rao, convener of TSSCA.
The members pointed out they were concerned about the safety and security of senior citizens, especially in these times of more and more nuclear families emerging.
“The old age pension of ` 1,000 is just too insufficient today. We do not get 30 per cent concession in bus tickets and tourism packages like in other states. We do not get 30 per cent concession in house tax as in Delhi,” said P.Ashok Kumar, co-convener.
The association also urges the government to provide them with an office space. “We want health insurance schemes for free treatment for senior citizens, an old age home in every mandal and separate privileges at pilgrim centres,” said Kumar.