Speaking at a felicitation ceremony for senior citizens, Parsekar said there was need for youth to be sensitive to the issues of the elders and that it would ultimately lead to a better society.
“Next year we will take the Senior Citizens’ Day to all schools so that the values are inculcated in students at a young age. There are times when an elderly person enters a bus, no one gives them a seat or if they are at the bank, they would not be treated with care. This needs to change and will happen only if the youngsters understand their value in society,” he said.
Members of the senior citizens community interacted with the minister placing before him their issues and problems and suggestions. R N Savordekar highlighted the lack of walking space for senior citizens and asked that a pavement be built along the Ribandar-Panjim road.
“Today, senior citizens don’t like to stay at home all the time and occasionally enjoy walking around. But there has been an increase in the number of road accidents involving senior citizens and this is troubling,” he said. Parsekar assured that once a traffic management plan was in place, provisions for pavements and benches would be looked into.
Social Welfare Minister Mahadev Naik said there was a need to go to villages to understand the problems faced by the elderly. “There is also the need to train people in offices and also bus conductors on how to respect senior citizens,” Naik said.
Meanwhile, the World Elders’ Day was celebrated by the Forum For Senior Citizens of India on Thursday. Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar was the chief guest for the function.
He promised to give space for the senior citizens of South Goa soon and also promised the completion of the District Hospital in one and half year’s time.
The annual magazine of the Forum was released at the event.
The senior citizens have requested the Chief Minister to give them space in the old collectorate until the district hospital is ready and they get the Hospicio building for their office.
The Chief Minister has proudly announced that the average life span of the Goans has increased to 70 years and has passed the credit of it to the successful schemes like DSS and other social schemes to the seniors of Goa. The Chief Minister further informed that the average life expectancy of Males is 68 and female is 72.
Minister Avertano Furtado, MP Narendra Sawaikar, Nilesh Cabral and several other senior citizens graced the occasion on Thursday.
