MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday directed the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to establish at least one old age home in all the districts across the state.
A division bench of Justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri was hearing a PIL petition filed by E Athisayakumar in 2011, seeking a direction to the state to establish old age homes for indigent senior citizens and abandoned parents in each district under Section 19 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, and Rule 19 of Tamil Nadu Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Rules, 2009.
The court had earlier appointed advocate commissioners to submit a report on the need to establish old age homes in the state. In the report, the advocate commissioners underscored the need to establish old age homes in each district.
The court said that the Act was brought about with a noble purpose of protecting the senior citizens and parents who were not supported by their children.
However, the state submitted that the government has not established any old age home on its own in the state and all homes were run by NGOs or charitable organisations who are given grants for maintenance.