Chennai: Old age homes in the state have been mushrooming over the years; but the government does not have adequate laws to man them, a petition filed in the Madras high court said.
The petitioner, S Krishnamoorthy of T Nagar here, who had worked in the Indian Air Force and later for Air India, submitted that establishment of homes for senior citizens reflected the sorry state of social order. Senior citizens, who were pushed to the corner, were admitted in the homes. This led to mushrooming of homes which lacked facilities.
The management of these homes lured them with juicy package. The cost of amenities offered to them escalated several times leaving senior citizens with no choice but to grudgingly pay it. “They are left at the hands of self-centred persons running the homes”, he said. The authorities, to his RTI application, stated that there was no record of regulations available.
Hence, he filed a writ petition seeking direction to secretaries of the Central and state social welfare department to frame regulations for senior citizens homes, as had been done in the matter of play schools, call taxis, private/international schools.
When the matter came up before the First Bench headed by the Chief Justice S.K. Kaul, the CJ said there should be some set of regulations. Assistant solicitor general, representing the Centre, said as of now there was no compulsory regulation for senior citizens' homes.
Then, the Chief Justice said, it should be a matter of concern, and government could make regulations as there should be some checks and balances. Directing the Central and state governments to file a detailed reply, the bench posted the matter for November 24 for further hearing.
