New Delhi: Schemes like National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) are of 1990s and these need to be “reconsidered and revised” by the government, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday.
A bench comprising Justices M.B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta, which was hearing a PIL filed by former Union law minister Ashwani Kumar on right to live with dignity of elderly persons, also asked the Centre to respond to suggestions that there should be a scheme for old age pension.
“We are of the view that the existing schemes such as the National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP), Integrated Programme for Older Persons (IPOP) and National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) are of 1990s and they need to be reconsidered and revised,” it said.
Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for the Centre, said that the process of revision and reconsideration of schemes is already underway.
The court then posted the PIL for further hearing to August 17 and asked the Centre to file a status report with regard to the suggestions given by Mathew Cherian, who is assisting the bench on behalf of Help Age India and also an update on the proposed revision of the schemes and programmes.
During the hearing, Cherian gave a note containing suggestions for improving the conditions of elderly people in the country.
He suggested that there should be old age pension for besides creation of infrastructure and facilities for the elderly.
He also said government programmes and schemes should be followed scrupulously and there should be a national policy and advisory bodies for implementation.
The former minister has said that right to live with dignity of the elderly people was being violated due to lack of care.
Due to ineffective implementation of the National Policy for Elderly, their rights were being violated, he has said.
