PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa will hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on January 4, 2026, asking for a State-wide socio-economic and health survey of senior citizens.
Petitioner and advocate Moses Pinto moved the court seeking directions to the State government to carry out a detailed survey of senior citizens so that welfare policies can be based on solid data.
In a PIL filed two months ago, Pinto — who is also a caregiver for his elderly father — asked the High Court to make sure the authorities conduct a scientific socio-economic and health survey of senior citizens, publish the findings, and then create evidence-based welfare plans.
He said that the lack of a full state-wide survey has caused policy gaps and weak implementation of welfare schemes.
The petition stated that even though the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, requires State governments to set up old-age homes, provide medical support, and ensure welfare measures, Goa has not carried out any detailed survey to understand the demographic, health, and social needs of the elderly. This, it said, has led to policy gaps and poor execution of legal and constitutional duties.
The PIL claimed that the ongoing failure to conduct such a survey has resulted in long-term neglect, poor identification of beneficiaries, and unnecessary hardship for senior citizens in Goa.
