Kerala   

Legal rights of senior citizens highlighted

THALASSERY: Legal rights and social security of senior citizens will be protected by the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizen’s Act 2007, according to legal experts at an awareness programme here.

The programme organised by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) in association with the District Court Bar Association at the District Court premises here on Thursday to create awareness on the legislation enacted by the Parliament was attended by judicial officers, advocates and senior citizens.

The National Legal Service Authority was observing the day as senior citizens day throughout the country.

Inaugurating the programme, DLSA chairman and District Judge R. Jyothindranathan said that the enactment was a social security legislation that safeguarded the rights of the elderly people.

He also called for initiatives to create public awareness on the enactment that addressed the problems being faced by the senior citizens and aged parents.

The main objective of the Act was to legally ensure that legal heirs or inheritors of their properties to provide facilities and protection to the senior citizens and parents, he said.

Legal experts who spoke on the Act at the function said that said that the enactment cast an obligation on persons who inherited the property of their aged relatives to look after them and provide facilities including medical care for protecting the life and property of their aged relatives. Aging had become a major social challenge because of the break-up of the joint family system, they said observing that large number of elderly persons particularly widowed women were not being looked after by their families. The aged parents and relatives were often exposed to emotional neglect and denied financial support, they said and underlined that the Act would effectively combat this social challenge.

District Court Bar Association president T. Asaf Ali in his talk on legal provisions in the Act said that the legislation would safeguard the legal rights of childless senior citizens who could move against their prospective legal heir. Under the Act, a senior citizen including a parent who was unable to maintain himself or herself from his or her own earnings could make an application to the maintenance tribunal to be set up in each subdivision.

Mr. Ali said that under the Act even the transfer of a property by the senior citizen or parent to his or her prospective heir could be declared void if the transferee failed to provide his or her amenities and needs.

The enactment also fixed a 90-day time frame for disposal of applications filed before the tribunal for monthly allowance, he added.

Physician at the General Hospital here spoke on the health problems being faced by the aged people.

DLSA secretary K. Vasudevan presided.

Additional District Judge T. Ali Muhammad also spoke at the function.

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

Stories in this Section

Health insurance scheme in Kerala
Tigress found dead in Periyar Reserve
Environmental norms sought for tourism
Tricks of the trade
Towering danger
ENGAGEMENTS
In the footsteps of Gandhiji
Legal rights of senior citizens highlighted
Muriyad farmers re-launch stir
Campus Notes
True followers
Remembering Bapu
Strength in unity
Homage to Mahatma
Learning a vanishing tradition
Protest against attack on minorities
Day’s musings
Legislation sought to help plantation sector
Discussion on coastal management

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu