the goan I network
PANAJI
A social worker from Goa has petitioned Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to set up a commission for senior citizens in Goa for handling various problems faced by
them.
A demand for 50 per cent concession for senior citizens in KTC bus fares on interstate routes has also been made with the Chief Minister in
this petition.
RTI activist Rajan Ghate has made this petition to the Chief Minister.
“Senior citizens are facing various problems in day to day life. Unfortunately, there is no exclusive government forum to resolve these problems. So there is a need for setting up commission for senior citizens in Goa,” said petitioner Rajan Ghate.
The petitioner had raised this issue with the earlier Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar as well.
In July 2018, Ghate had petitioned then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for placing the proposal for setting up the senior citizen commission in the Goa
assembly.
Parrikar had, in a function at Margao in December
2017, while acknowledging the need for a senior citizen commission said that as the society is changing, the joint family system is being eroded and senior citizens are facing many problems.
Assuring to set up a senior citizen commission, Parrikar had said, “Government machinery like a senior citizen commission is need of the hour.”
While justifying the demand of 50 per cent concession in bus fare on interstate routes, Ghate said that Maharastra and Karnataka states are already giving such benefits to its senior
citizens.
Ghate has said that giving concession in bus fare to senior citizens will benefit to the KTC as the number of senior citizens and their relatives travelling in KTC will increase.
“Senior citizens can go on pilgrimage tours in other states with economical rates within their budget if they
get concession in bus fare,” said Ghate.
