KOZHIKODE: The Kannur district administration’s novel project ‘Sasneham’, aimed at helping parents who have been abandoned by their children and also to create awareness among the public about the laws pertaining to the welfare of deserted parents, is getting a positive response. A reflection of that is the receipt of more than 330 complaints within seven months of its launch in October, 2014 by the administration.
The project is also the subject of a study by the social welfare department. The district administration is planning to request the department to implement the project statewide.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Kannur District Collector P. Bala Kiran said that the project was yielding the right results. It was after the Collector received a series of complaints where parents were deserted by their children, the administration had taken the decision to launch the programme.
“We do have a very effective law, Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, to help parents who are deserted. However, lack of awareness had created hurdles in implementing the act in spirit. Through this programme, we are not just giving the people legal help but we also take action according to the law, and create awareness among people. People should understand that it is their right,” he said.
The Sasneham project is headed by the Thalassery Sub Collector. The district administration, on every Thursday, conducts a full-day sitting for dealing with the complaints and also visiting old age homes in the district to collect complaints.
“We are motivated by the response for the programme. We have also appointed conciliation officers who will talk toboth parties during the sitting and surprisingly almost 50 percent of cases get settled in those meetings,” says Thalassery Sub Collector Navjot Khosa, heading the project. She added that people were coming forward voluntarily to help the district administration for the effective conduct of the programme.
