the goan I network
MARGAO
Minister for Art and Culture and Tribal Welfare, Govind Gawde on Tuesday assured that the government would take up with the Centre to set up a Senior Citizens Commission to handle all issues affecting the elders in the state.
Responding to the demands made at the World Elders Day celebrations organized by the All Goa Senior Citizens’ Federation at the Ravindra Bhavan here on Tuesday, the Minister said the government would not be lacking in putting any mechanism in place to mete out justice to the senior citizens.
“I will immediately discuss the issue of setting up a Commission for Senior Citizens with the CM. We will write to the Centre on this aspect at the earliest,” he said, but hastened to add that the Goa government is committed in taking care of the senior citizens in the state.
Promising to shoulder the responsibility of taking up the grievances of the senior citizens with the government, Gawde underscored the need for the government authorities, including the police, to lend their ears to senior citizens in times of difficulty.
“When the senior citizens come with their complaints to the government departments, including the police, officials should listen to what they say. I have carried out inspections in government offices when my attention was drawn to senior citizens receiving a cold shoulder from the authorities,” he said.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat made a strong case for the setting up a Commission for Senior Citizens on the lines of similar commissions existing in other states.
“A Commission for Senior citizens will go a long way to effectively mete out justice to senior citizens,” Kamat said.
Saying that the Commissions should be headed by Judicial Officers, the Opposition leader promised his support to the move.
In his address, President of the All Goa Senior Citizens’ Federation Diogo M Da Costa pointed out how the police bluntly tell senior citizens in incidents of assault to go to the court instead of providing justice. He also lamented that maintenance cases have been pending for want enforcement even though the parents are on the road after being displaced by their children.
“Many a senior citizen has passed away without getting justice from the system. Many a time the elders die without food and medicines. This is happening in a welfare state like Goa,” he said, while seeking government support to overcome the difficulties faced by the senior citizens.
Diogo feared that if the children go scot free without looking after the maintenance of their ageing parents, a day will come when the government will have to open an old age home in every village across the state.
“There’s a need to implement the Maintenance Act vigorously,” he said, while urging the Minister to fix an appointment with CM to address issues plaguing the senior citizens.
