The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 would be immediately translated into Tamil and be brought out as a booklet, said Chief Justice of High Court of Madras, M Y Eqbal, on Saturday while directing the Legal Service Authority of the UT (LSAUT) to take up the said exercise.
He gave this assurance, following pleas from NGOs and senior citizens association during an interactive session with senior citizens organised by the LSAUT at court complex on Saturday.
Justice Eqbal directed T Murugesan, senior government pleader for Puducherry in the Madras High Court, to discuss with the district collector (appellate authority under the act) and destablish an information centre so that applications from senior citizens could be received. It was a special act through which senior citizens could approach the tribunal for maintenance in the place of residence. The application could also be filed by NGOs or other persons authorized by the senior citizen, he further added.
Moreover, it was mandatory for the tribunal to take a decision within 90 days and on appeal they have to act within 60 days.
He stressed on the need to create greater awareness particularly for the elderlies in the rural areas.
Chief Judge of Puducherry, C S Murugan, said that priority would be given in adjudication of cases filed by senior citizens in the Puducherry courts.
D Ramabathiran, member secretary, Pondicherry Legal Services Authority, said that maintenance tribunal as well as appellate tribunal had been constituted in the Union Territory to ensure effective implementation of the act.