‘Cops should maintain list of senior citizens’

Hanchate Sanjeev Kumar, member-secretary of the State Legal Services Authority, has suggested that compiling a list of senior citizens in the respective police stations.

He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating a sensitisation programme on promoting the effective implementation of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 in Karnataka.

The programme was organised by Nimhans, the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority, and the Karnataka State Resource Centre for Senior Citizens at the Nethravathi Auditorium of the Zilla Panchayat in Mangaluru.

Sanjeev Kumar said that the guidelines under the Act need to be implemented effectively. It is necessary to have exclusive special wards for senior citizens in hospitals. Cases related to the citizens should be disposed of at the earliest through Lok Adalats, he added.

IGP (Western) J Arun Chakaravarti expressed worry at the significantly high rate of crime against senior citizen. In nuclear families, the elderly people are ignored, he said.

Principal District and Sessions Judge Kadloor Satyanarayanacharya presided over the programme. Zilla Panchayat CEO R Selvamani, City Commissioner of Police Sandeep Patil and Bar Association president M R Ballal were present.