The Media including Outlook Magazine February 20, 2009 and Mumbai Mirror February 19, 2009 reported that Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007,a central government legislation, which provides for imprisonment for neglecting parents and senior citizens was passed by Maharashtra cabinet recently, which decided to implement the law in the state from March 1 2009,after 14 months of delay.
But its shocking that till date nothing has been done and government has fooled the Senior Citizens, the most neglected and ignored. The Act is still not implemented and no progress had been done to form the Tribunals and create awareness.
We hope that this monsoon session of Maharashtra Assembly the ACT is passed and GR issued. Many Senior Citizens are waiting for justice.
The Act provides that anyone who shows disrespect to or does not care for his or her parents who are above 60 years of age is liable for punishment up to three months of imprisonment or a fine of Rs 5,000 or both.
The Act came into existence on December 27, 2007 by a central government notification but the state was yet to come out with a notification, mandatory for implementation of the Act.
The Act makes it clear that 'maintenance of parents' means provision of food, shelter, clothing and medical attendance and treatment and a 'parent' means father or mother whether biological, adoptive or step-father or step-mother, whether or not the father or mother is a senior citizen (whose age is 60 or above).
The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had written to the State Government last year, with a request to notify the Act in Maharashtra.Till date only 15 state have implemented it.
NGO and activist like Silver Inning Foundation, Helpage India, and AISCON are advocating and pressuring the government to immediately implement this act all over India.
To see the ACT: http://www.prsindia.org/docs/bills/1182337322/scr1193026940_Senior_Citizen.pdf
This is warning to government, if this does not happen this assembly session then Senor Citizens and NGO's will be on the street.
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