Chennai:Seeking stronger social security and healthcare measures for the State’s ageing population, the Federation of Senior Citizen Associations of Tamil Nadu has urged the government to constitute a statutory Senior Citizens Commission and raise the monthly old-age pension to Rs 3,000.

The federation said Tamil Nadu’s elderly population, estimated at 1.04 crore or 13.6 per cent of the population in 2021, was projected to increase substantially by 2031. It sought legislation to establish the commission to implement the Tamil Nadu State Policy on Senior Citizens, 2023.

The federation has also sought that at least 75 per cent of senior citizens be brought under social security pension schemes. It said the monthly old-age pension should be increased to Rs 3,000 and called for expanded infrastructure for palliative care, medicines, food and shelter, old-age homes, volunteer services, recreation centres and medical clinics.

According to the federation, 37.79 lakh beneficiaries currently receive assistance under various social security pension schemes, including old-age, differently abled, destitute widow, destitute farmers and agricultural labourers and Sri Lankan Tamil schemes. It said the interim budget had allocated Rs 5,463 crore for these schemes while only 14.18 lakh elderly persons were covered under the old-age pension social security net. The pension paid to beneficiaries was in the range of Rs 1,200-Rs 1,500 a month, it said.

The federation has proposed an annual allocation of Rs 28,080 crore for social security pensions and Rs 3,120 crore for elderly healthcare in the 2026-27 budget. The proposed pension allocation is based on covering 75 per cent of the estimated 1.04 crore elderly population (around 78 lakh people) with a monthly pension of Rs 3,000. The federation has urged the government to act on the State’s 2023 senior citizens policy and strengthen financial and healthcare support as Tamil Nadu’s elderly population grows.

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