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The Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Smt. Meira Kumar has called for greater and better income security of the older persons. Inaugurating a Seminar, on the National Policy on Older Persons here today, Smt. Kumar said that she would take up the issue of increasing the number of recipients of pension and also its amount with the Minister of Rural Development. She said presently around 54 lakh persons living below poverty line are drawing pension through National and State Social Assistance Programme, but this is inadequate. She called for reducing the age ceiling from 65 years to 60 years in line with the National Policy for Older Persons and increasing the amount to a realistic proportion.
Mrs. Kumar said that social pensions are effective way of reducing poverty. She said poverty reduction is not possible without inclusion of older people. 30 Per cent of whom live below poverty line. Talking about encouraging saving and investment habit during a person’s economically productive age, the Minister said that the contributory pension programme must be managed in a manner that invokes confidence. Referring to health care needs of older people, Smt. Kumar said that rapid expansion of training in geriatric care is required. "Let us celebrate ageing and old age and enjoy it to the utmost", the Minister said and expressed hope that the Seminar would come up with practical recommendations which the Government can adopt and implement in the coming years for the welfare of the aged.
Earlier the Social Justice and Empowerment Secretary, Smt. Sarita Prasad said that no programme on Social Justice can be complete without addressing the problems of older people. She said that the NGOs have a significant role in mitigating the problems of the aged persons cropping up within their families.
The three-day Seminar jointly organised by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Help Age India is being attended by NGOs, academicians, social activists and bureaucrats. There are at present 82 million aged persons in the country. Of this 63 per cent are in the age group of 60-69 years and are called young old. 26 Per cent of the aged population is constituted by people 70-79 years old described as old and the remaining 11 per cent are above 80 years. 55 per cent of the elderly people are women. 20 million elderly women are widows. 80 Per cent of the older population lives in rural India.
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