NEW DELHI: Taking a step closer towards care for senior citizens, SC recently directed the states & UTs to file a report related to pension, old age, and geriatric care schemes which are operating for the welfare of the elderly.
A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia while considering a plea filed by Dr Ashwini Kumar seeking enforcement of rights of elderly persons also asked the states and UTs to also disclose the status as regards the implementation of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act.
In 2018, SC had asked the union to obtain necessary information from all the state governments and UTs about the number of old age jokes in each district of the country, medical facilities and geriatric care facilities available to senior citizens in each district. It had also asked the centre to relook at the schemes related to the pension of elders.
“Right to live with dignity is, in effect, a part of the right to life as postulated in Article 21 of the Constitution. Such a right would be rendered meaningless if an aged person does not have the financial means to take care of his basic necessities and has to depend for it on others,” the court had also observed.
During the pandemic, SC in Kumar’s plea had directed states to pay pension regularly to all old age people who were eligible for pension and also provide them with necessary medicines, masks, sanitizers and other essential goods. Court had also asked caregivers of the people in old age homes to provide personal protection and ensure appropriate sanitization.