The Hindu : National : Nod for changes to Senior Citizens Bill

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 01, 2007
ePaper

National

National

Nod for changes to Senior Citizens Bill

Special Correspondent

Aim is to avoid delay in settlement of claims

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet has approved certain changes to the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Bill to make it more effective.

The changes to the Bill, which is pending in the Lok Sabha, include a proviso that the time limit for disposal of claims for maintenance could be extended only once, to a maximum of 30 days. The reasons for the extension have to be recorded.

The aim is to ensure that there is no unnecessary delay in the settlement of claims.

The amendments will also change the definition of the word ‘welfare’ in the Bill to mean provision of food, health care, recreation centres and other amenities for the senior citizens.

In addition, the words, “and includes parents, whether or not a senior citizen” in clause 2 of the Bill will be sought to be omitted to remove any ambiguity so that the benefits are utilised by senior citizens only.

Chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Cabinet meeting on Thursday also approved enhancement of India’s contribution to the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) to Rs.10 crore a year for the next five years; revision of the estimated cost of the centre from Rs. 117.53 crore to Rs.170.33 crore; and making a one-time contribution of Rs. 2.8 crore towards payment of arrears of service charges to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Housing policy

The meeting approved the placing of the National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy before Parliament and its circulation to the State governments and other stakeholders. It also approved the signing of an extradition treaty with Egypt.

Development of colleges

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), on the same day, approved a scheme for the development of colleges imparting education on Ayurveda and other indigenous systems of medicine with an outlay of Rs.550 crore for the 11th Plan period.

Under the scheme, assistance for government and government-aided institutions will be scaled up from Rs. 62 lakh to Rs.2 crore for undergraduate colleges, from Rs.2 crore to Rs.3 crore for postgraduate colleges and Rs.3 crore to Rs.5 crore for model colleges. The assistance will be based on college-specific upgradation plans.

The CCEA also approved the implementation of a revised Centrally-sponsored scheme for improving the mechanism for quality control of drugs of indigenous systems of medicine with an Eleventh Plan provision of Rs.225 crore. It is aimed at upgrading the infrastructure of drug-testing laboratories and State pharmacies and improving the enforcement mechanism at the State level.

It cleared a proposal for updating the information technology infrastructure of the Central Board of Excise and Customs.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National