Vrudha Mitra a ray of hope for elderly

Vijayawada: Self-respect is the focus area where many elders have been compromising when they approach any police station or a court seeking justice from their very own children.

According to police, 20 per cent of cases approaching the police related to elderly persons. They approach the police to help them get rights and financial benefits at the fag end of life.

Though elderly persons form 10 per cent of the population, their voice was not reaching the rest of the society. Many elderly persons still think of their family prestige and avoiding approaching cops and courts.

Highlights:

• According to police, 20 per cent of cases approaching the police related to elderly persons
• They approach the police to help them get rights and financial benefits
• There are many other cases where justice is not provided to the aged
• M Venkateswara Rao, organising secretary of AP Senior Citizens Samakhya, is in favour of ‘reverse mortgage scheme’ under which parents of neglected by children can mortgage their assets with banks
• He wanted the government to implement the scheme with the help of bankers as this will reduce complaints at tribunals

Joint Commissioner of Police Ramana Kumar, at a recent meeting of the aged, says 20 per cent of the aged who visit police stations were poor and are neglected by their children. “We don’t know how to solve their problem,” he says.

The police launched Vrudha Mitra desk in every police station where station writer is a convenor. The same initiative is being implemented in Vizianagaram apart from the city.

A retired teacher approached the police to lodge a complaint against his son (40) who harasses him for money. He left wife and remained jobless. When police summoned his son, he was warned by the police not to harass his father. It was one month and the elderly man is happy as the police solved the case under Vrudha Mitra.

In another case, aged parents were not allowed to enter the premises of son who is a government employee. The other four sons of the parents were not rich enough to feed the aged mother and father. The police invited their son and counselled to pay Rs 15,000 every month to his parents. Now, the parents are happy.

When an aged person sought police help stating that his son and daughter-in-law were not taking care of him, the police could not convince the accused. They managed to help the old man to join an old age home in the city.

There are many other cases where justice is not provided to the aged. M Venkateswara Rao, organising secretary of AP Senior Citizens Samakhya, is in favour of ‘reverse mortgage scheme’ under which parents of neglected by children can mortgage their assets with banks. He wanted the government to implement the scheme with the help of bankers. This will reduce complaints at tribunals, he feels.

By Noor Shaik