Concerns Of Senior Citizens

Minister for Information and Communications Madhav Prasad Poudel has expressed the commitment on behalf of the government to duly address the concerns and issues of senior citizens. Speaking at an interaction programme organised by the Senior Citizens Service Centre on the occasion of the 23rd International Day of Senior Citizens, Minister Poudel acknowledged the failure of the government to enact and implement the laws concerning senior citizens. That senior citizens in Nepal tend to be neglected is a fact. As a result, senior citizens must often undergo various kinds of psychological and mental trauma. This is mainly due to the absence of laws governing their rights and interests.

Senior citizens are the living history, and they possess tremendous knowledge and experience which can serve as a valuable resource for the country. Although the senior citizens cannot be physically active, they can still contribute mentally and intellectually. However, this seems not to have been realised. As senior citizens age, they are neglected and left uncared for. Not only is there no specific law concerning the rights and welfare of senior citizens, there is also no organisation devoted to these elderly people. There are reports that some elderly people have even been evicted from their homes and left in the lurch by their own family members. Some have had to take refuge in the homes for the elderly people. But even such facilities in Nepal are few, given the large number of elderly people who need them. The government provides a meager allowance to the senior citizens over the age of 75. But that allowance is not sufficient and needs to be increased in proportion to the rate of inflation.

What, however, is more important than the physical facilities and monetary benefit is the enactment of a law concerning the protection of the rights and interests of the senior citizens. The law should be framed in such a way that those who act against the interest of the senior citizens are punished under the criminal law. It is unfortunate that the provision to provide some concession on the fare to senior citizens while using the public transport has not been implemented properly. This measure got announced only after pressure was mounted on the government by the senior citizens themselves. As there is no organisation to speak on behalf of senior citizens, the elderly people themselves have got organised and started to raise voices for their rights and welfare. But the initiative for the welfare of the senior citizens must come from the government and also from the young generation to ensure that the senior citizens live a dignified life.