Senior citizens have made several demands pertaining to their right to live with dignity through an interaction with the government, said State Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Girish Bapat.
Senior citizens have asked for a separate railway compartment instead of the current seven seats reserved for them in every local train service, and rules to make it mandatory for chemists to provide them generic prescription drugs, said Federation of Senior Citizens of Mumbai (FESCOM) vice-president Annasaheb Dhekale.
Mr. Dhekale said, “Senior citizens need separate queues in hospitals and bank offices. There is also a need to monitor and prosecute bogus miracle drugs that are rampantly hawked using television advertisements. This vulnerable segment of society is lured through misleading public advisories into buying drugs that fail to provide relief for common ailments like body aches, while cheating them financially.”
FESCOM held demonstrations on February 12 at Azad Maidan pressing for 12 demands. These include compulsory railings for every staircase in all railway stations, reducing the prescribed age for availing free travel on State transport corporation buses from 65 to 60 years, half-fares on the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport buses, and action against dual or overpricing of commodities in local malls and other retail centers.
As much as 11% of India’s population is over the age of 60 years. In Maharashtra there are 1.36 crore persons in this category and they are represented by over 4,000 associations, according to Mr. Dhekale. The State government has announced plans of a free medical cover for senior citizens of upto ₹5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Mr. Bapat held meetings with FESCOM and announced a joint-awareness campaign for consumers by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and senior citizen groups in the State. Mr. Bapat released a booklet for the campaign that will officially be launched on March 15, also celebrated as World Consumers’ Day.
An FDA official said, “The intention of the government is to enlist the services of this huge segment of society to create awareness about consumer rights and curb malpractices in pricing, weight, hallmarking, Agmark, ISI mark, validity period, and guarantees and warrantees of consumer goods. The most common complaint we receive relates to milk adulteration.”
Mr. Bapat said, “What is most craved is respect in society and within their own families. With the erosion of the joint-family system in contemporary society, it is our responsibility to provide emotional support through active empathy for ssenior citizens.”
The State government will work in close coordination with senior citizen groups to promote awareness and ensure that target schemes are actually reaching them, he said. “Awareness is more potent than the law. Once shopkeepers feel pressured by consumers on minimum retail price and other issues it is a stronger deterrent than any law.”
Mr. Bapat also said that a Union government law to regulate pharmacists,which is currently pending Presidential sanction. This would enhance the compoundable nature of the existing law to include penal provisions such as non-bailable offence, incarceration for duplicity in pricing and adulteration of milk, and sale of banned substances like gutka and other flavoured-tobacco products.
