In a bid to create awareness of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, among the public, HelpAge India in collaboration with students from Madurai Institute of Social Sciences and Fatima College performed street plays at K. Pudur bus stand on Monday.
More than 30 students of the social work departments of these city colleges put up plays which reflected the ill-treatment meted out to the senior citizens by their family members and relatives and the steps they could take to get their grievances redressed.
“The fact that there are hardly any cases filed under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act shows how ignorant senior citizens are about the Act and its provisions. We organised the street plays as an advocacy measure to make the people aware of it,” said K.V. Vijaya Prakash, Manager of HelpAge India, Madurai.
“Under the Act, if the senior citizens are being harassed for their property by family members, they can approach the District Social Welfare Officer or the Revenue Divisional Officer and file a complaint under the prescribed formats given,” he added.
The public who saw the street plays were given pamphlets detailing the provisions of the Act and the State helpline number 1800 180 1253.
Helpline needed
“The district is in immediate need of a helpline. For now, persons who call the helpline from Madurai with grievances or complaints have to contact the State helpline in Chennai and their calls are forwarded to us,” said officials from HelpAge in the city, who are operating the helpline along with the State government.
“The formation of a tribunal at the district level can also help in proper implementation of the Act,” they added.
