As cases of neglect pile up, activists seek state commission for elderly

Panaji: Stakeholders have highlighted the need to set up a senior citizens’ commission to provide speedy justice for senior citizens, access to specialised geriatric care and affordable medical facilities, better transport facilities, and community engagement to improve the lives of senior citizens in the state.

National RTI awardee and social activist Rajan Ghate says Goa needs a senior citizens’ commission to speedily address issues of maintenance of seniors under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 in cases where their children ill-treat them.

“Maintenance applications are supposed to be decided within three months, but the deputy collectors cannot handle these cases efficiently, and they remain pending, while seniors suffer,” Ghate told TOI.

For seniors with lesser or no means, there is limited access to specialised geriatric care, and the state’s provedoria runs full.

“Provedoria have converted 40 per cent of their beds to accommodate seniors with disabilities from the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, who have no place to go. Where will other seniors go?” asked Donald Fernandes of Street Providence, that provides free shelter to senior citizens, including the ones who were abandoned or with disabilities.

“Govt’s schemes were formulated back in 2007, and inflation has not been taken into account. For food, govt pays us Rs 1,000 per inmate per month-around Rs 30 per day. The same govt pays the food supplier providing food to govt hospitals around Rs 300 per day,” he said, adding that NGOs need govt support to be able to provide shelter and take care to seniors.

GoaCan convener Roland Martins said all agencies and govt departments need to be proactive to publicise their outreach for senior citizens. “Service providers must be pursued to put in place their grievance redressal systems,” said Martins.

“Special effort must be made to make senior citizens aware of the provisions of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 and Goa Rules 2009,” he added.


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