TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Senior Citizens under the banner of Forum of Senior Citizens of India have cried foul over the neglect and apathy of elders by the State government.
The panel has charged the government for its neglect and failure to implement the Action Plan for the protection of life and property of the senior citizens under Chapter VI Rule 20. of the Protection of Life and Property of Senior Citizens.
Highlighting a recent incident where by a senior citizen, residing in Fatorda was assaulted by his daughter-in-law along with his own son, Forum President Diogo M Da Costa asserted that the police has shown total neglect and has hushed up the case by claiming it to be a non cognizable offence. “The senior citizen was assaulted brutally and had to be sent for medical examination to Hospicio due to bleeding. And yet the police hushed up the case as a non cognizable offence in clear disregard of the Rule that aims at protecting the life and property of Senior Citizens”, asserted Da Costa.
Members of the Forum opined that the Rules are not comprehensive enough, as punitive action to be taken in such cases is not reflecting in the rules, thus disallowing the police to act in such situations, allowing the assaulters to go scot free.
The Executive Committee headed by the Forum’s President Da Costa has appealed to the government to incorporate the punitive action to be taken under such cases, as the police advise the victims to approach the court of law.
Senior citizens in the know said since most of the members are virtually living in poverty, with many on the verge of starvation, they cannot file their complaints in the court of law fearing exorbitant expenses they might have to incur in the litigation. The existing Rules are not enough to give required protection to Senior Citizens as and when such incidents occur, stated Forum Secretary General Adv J Nicollau Collaco.
