Sindh Government has failed to constitute the Senior Citizens' Council despite the provincial assembly has passed the 'Senior Citizens Welfare Act' back in 2016, depriving the aged-people of leading a respectful and dignified life, as promised by the act.
The apathy of the provincial government particularly the officials of Social Welfare Department can be gauged from the fact that not even a single meeting [of the council] has so far been held in the last three years, said the officials of Sindh Rural Support Organisation (SRSO) during a media workshop held here at a local hotel.
They said rules of businesses have not been completed yet, and without rules of businesses, implementation on the project would remain a distant dream, they deplored. There is a need to sensitise the government officials first.
They alleged that provincial government acquired no data of the total number of the senior citizens living in the province; however, an MoU has recently been signed with the social welfare department on MIS to collect the actual number of senior citizens from across the province.
The majority of the parliamentarians and government officials are unaware of the issues, challenges, and rights of older men and women in general and specifically as promised by the act.
They urged the provincial Government to come up with speedy implementation on Senior Citizen Act so that the aged people would be able to lead a respectful and dignified life.
As per the act, they said the minister of Social Welfare Department is the chairperson of the council while two members of provincial assembly to be nominated by the speaker Sindh Assembly as members.
Besides, Secretaries of different departments including the Finance, Health, Local Government, Zakat and Usher Department, Transport, Food and Agriculture, and two members from amongst a well-know NGO's one engaged in the welfare of the senior citizens and one from human rights, two senior citizens from civil society one of whom shall be retired government officer and one businessman, one retired session judge or additional session judge and the secretary social welfare department would be the members of the council.
The functions of the council members are to formulate policies for welfare and improving the well-being of senior citizens, issuing senior citizens card by providing essential services and benefits to them, establishing lodging, homes for physical, mental, emotional, social, and economic well-being of the senior citizens, providing free geriatric, medical, and health services with free medicine as prescribed by the respective medical officer from government dispensaries hospitals and medical centres, providing 25 percent concession in fares in road transport and 25 percent discount on purchase of good, drugs, medicine and essential commodities for his personal use and services provided to him by the manufacturers, retailers, service providers and professionals.
Any person, who refuses to honour the senior citizen card issued by the council or violates any provision of the Act, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment not less than one year but not more than three years or fine which may extend to thirty thousand rupees or with both.
They said SRSO is a non-profit organisation which put forward the senior citizens act before the provincial assembly in 2014 for consideration. SRSO in partnership with HelpAge International is working on a 3-year project 'promoting the rights of older people (PRO-People) at three districts - Karachi, Jacobabad and Shikarpur.
The objective of the project is to facilitate implementation and monitoring of the Senior Citizens welfare Act in Sindh. The project aims at sensitising and building the capacity of older women and men, human rights organisations, media in Sindh province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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