J&K unveils rules for maintenance, welfare of parents & senior citizens
May have council of senior citizens at UT and committees at district level
Srinagar, November 24, 2021: The administration of Jammu & Kashmir may constitute a council of senior citizens at the Union Territory and district level for effective implementation of “The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act-2007.”
According to “The Jammu and Kashmir Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Rules, 2021”, the government may by order establish a Union Territory council of senior citizens to advise it on effective implementation of the Act and to perform such other functions in relation to the senior citizens as the government may specify.
The council, according to the rules, would comprise of minister Social Welfare, administrative secretaries of different departments like Social Welfare, Home, Finance, GAD, Health, Director General of Police, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir/ Jammu, Inspector General of Police Kashmir/ Jammu, specialists, activists and eminent senior citizens.
The rules also provide that the government may also establish a committee of senior citizens in each district which will advise it on effective and coordinated implementation of the law and perform such other functions in relation to the senior citizens at the district level as the government may specify.
The rules also state that Director General of Police shall take all necessary steps, subjects to such guidelines as the government may issue from time to time, for the protection of life and property of senior citizens.
According to the rules, each police station shall maintain an up-to-date list of senior citizens living within its jurisdiction, especially those who are living by themselves
The police shall also promptly attend to complaints/problems by senior citizens and visit them quickly as possible on receipt of a request of assistance from them, the rules state.
These rules have been unveiled for implementation of “The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007” which became applicable to J&K from October 31, 2019- the appointed day for reorganization of erstwhile state of J&K into two Union Territories—(KNO)
