As a senior citizen I am still waiting for the benefits outlined in the Senior Citizens Bill, passed by the Sindh Provincial Assembly in April. That is the problem with the good work our legislators do: it is good in intention but practical action is not taken for years and years. At least on this bill it needs some fast track work to make it law. I cannot help describing what I feel except in Mirza Ghalib's verse: "Hum ne mana ke taghaful na karoge lekin/ khaak ho jaenge hum tum ko khabar hone tak".
It is already years and years too long a wait. The concern for senior citizens was voiced, and presented in a report of the standing committee on social welfare on December 10, 2014. The bill is not going to cost the government an arm and a leg to implement. Most of what needs to be done can be a quick fix. For instance the basic: issue of cards by the Senior Citizens Council, which would entitle essential services and benefits, including 25 percent concession in transport fares, discount at recreational centres.
The Council also proposed several free benefits, such as free funeral and burial services, free treatment of geriatric medical and health services. This is like offering charity. No free, but concessional benefits alone would make senior citizens feel they are not treated like beggars but given dignity. A token fee should be allowed.
A pressing issue, especially among middle-class senior citizens, is addressing their independence. They have lived a life on their own steam, by their own toil and earning. They are not happy to become dependent, pension schemes in the country are a flop. Insurance schemes designed for the provision of income in old age are not popular and hardly effective. People do not think of old age when they are young and active, plus saving for the future is just not a custom in Pakistan. In India savings are substantial, every one saves. Here we live for the day. There is just the Behbud scheme.
The average age in the country is increasing. While there is a large growing population of young people below the age of 24-years, there is also a large population of elderly citizens. Politicians pay more attention to the former than the latter. It was the young people who brought Imran Khan to power. The Sindh PPP launched many schemes which benefit the youth in the province. No scheme, expect the aforesaid Bill, is their contribution to woo the votes of senior citizens.
There is one highly controversial clause in the Senior Citizens Bill. "Any person who refuses to honour senior citizens... any person or family member having care of (old) family member, if abandoned him (sic), shall be punishableby imprisonment for three months or fined." The fine is Rs 30,000. Nobody really mistreats the elderly.So who refuses to "honour" old people? Welfare, if it is perceived as a responsibility of the welfare department, as the Bill clearly envisages, why punish a person's family? Punish the bureaucrats when the Bill becomes Law and is not implemented. However, the wording indicates the legislators believe familys simply have to care for their old members. They do, but it should not be punishable if they do not.
On their own many organisations and departments have been adopting measures to make life a little easy for senior citizens. Many places of entertainment give free entry to people over 60-years-old. The passport office, the NADRA also give first place to seniors. Even inqueuesat banks, cinema ticket offices, voting queues, a senior can just walk up, break the queue and nobody protests.
Organisation who do not care for senior citizens are the ones who are virtually plundering by monthly increasing essential service charges. Another lot who do not give a damn are posh hotels and malls which have dining facilities. No concession for senior citizens. Clubs and sport entertainment also do not give preference or concession to seniors.
The Senior Citizens Welfare Bill is not the only one which is still in the "will-be-done" stage. There should be a time fix for when the "will-be-done" becomes done. But, I wonder, will it happen in my lifetime?
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