7 STANDING COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (2014 - 2015) (SIXTEENTH LOK SABHA) MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT) Action taken by the Government on the observations/recommendations contained in the Thirty-ninth Report of the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment (Fifteenth Lok Sabha) on the subject ‘Implementation of Schemes for Welfare of Senior Citizens’. SEVENTH REPORT LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW DELHI March, 2015/Phalguna, 1936 (Saka) 1 SEVENTH REPORT STANDING COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (2014-2015) (SIXTEENTH LOK SABHA) MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT) Action taken by the Government on the observations/recommendations contained in the Thirty-ninth Report of the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment (Fifteenth Lok Sabha) on the subject ‘Implementation of Schemes for Welfare of Senior Citizens’. Presented to Lok Sabha on 13.3.2015 Laid in Rajya Sabha on 13.3.2015 LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW DELHI March, 2015/Phalguna, 1936 (Saka) 2 CONTENTS PAGE COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (iv) INTRODUCTION (vi) CHAPTER -I Report 1 CHAPTER- II Observations/Recommendations which have been accepted 14 by the Government. CHAPTER- III Observations/Recommendations which the Committee do 30 not desire to pursue in view of the replies of the Government. CHAPTER -IV Observations/Recommendations in respect of which replies 33 of the Government have not been accepted. CHAPTER- V Observations/Recommendations in respect of which replies 38 of the Government are interim in nature. ANNEXURE ANNEXURE - I Minutes of the Fifteenth sitting of the Standing Committee on 50 Social Justice and Empowerment held on 10th March, 2015. APPENDIX Analysis of the action taken by the Government on the 52 recommendations contained in the Thirty-ninth Report of the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment (Fifteenth Lok Sabha). 3 COMPOSITION OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (2014-2015) SHRI RAMESH BAIS - CHAIRMAN MEMBERS LOK SABHA 2. Shri Jasvantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor 3. Kunwar Bharatendra 4. Shri Dilip Singh Bhuria 5. Shri Santokh Singh Chaudhary #6. Shri Sher Singh Ghubaya 7. Shri Jhina Hikaka 8. Shri Prakash Babanna Hukkeri 9. Shri Bhagwant Khuba 10. Shri Sadashiv Lokhande 11. Smt. Maragatham K. 12. Shri Kariya Munda 13. Prof. A.S.R. Naik 14. Shri Asaduddin Owaisi 15. Sadhvi Savitri Bai Phule 16. Dr. Udit Raj 17. Smt. Satabdi Roy 18. Prof. Sadhu Singh 19. Smt. Neelam Sonkar #20. Smt. Mamta Thakur *21. Shri Tejpratap Singh Yadav MEMBERS RAJYA SABHA 22. Smt. Jharna Das Baidya **23. Dr. Tazeen Fatma 24. Shri Ahamed Hassan 25. Smt. Sarojini Hembram 26. Shri Prabhat Jha 27. Smt. Mohsina Kidwai 28. Shri Praveen Rashtrapal 29. Shri Nand Kumar Sai 30. Smt. Vijila Sathyananth 31. Smt. Wansuk Syiem * Nominated w.e.f. 22.12.2014 ** Nominated w.e.f. 29.1.2015 # Nominated w.e.f 25.3.2015 4 LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT 1. Shri Ashok Kumar Singh - Joint Secretary 2. Shri Ashok Sajwan - Director 3. Shri Kushal Sarkar - Additional Director 4. Smt. Neena Juneja - Under Secretary INTRODUCTION 5 I, the Chairman, Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment (2014-15) having been authorized by the Committee to submit the Report on their behalf, do present this Seventh Report on the action taken by the Government on the observations/recommendations contained in the Thirty-ninth Report of the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment (Fifteenth Lok Sabha) on the subject ‘Implementation of Schemes for Welfare of Senior Citizens’. 2. The Thirty-ninth Report was presented to Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha and Chairman, Rajya Sabha on 4th January, 2014 and then presented to Lok Sabha and laid in Rajya Sabha on 7th February, 2014. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (Department of Social Justice and Empowerment) furnished their replies indicating action taken on the recommendations contained in that Report on 9th June, 2014. The Report was considered and adopted by the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment at their sitting held on 10th March, 2015. 3. An analysis of the action taken by Government on the recommendations contained in the Thirty-ninth Report of the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment (Fifteenth Lok Sabha) is given in Appendix. 4. For facility of reference observations/recommendations of the Committee have been printed in thick type in the body of the Report. NEW DELHI; RAMESH BAIS Chairman, 10 March, 2015 Standing Committee on 19 Phalguna, 1936 (Saka) Social Justice and Empowerment 6 CHAPTER - I REPORT 1.1 This Report of the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment deals with the action taken by the Government on the observations/recommendations contained in the Thirty-ninth Report of the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment (Fifteenth Lok Sabha) on the subject „Implementation of Schemes for Welfare of Senior Citizens‟. 1.2 The Thirty-ninth Report was presented to Lok Sabha and laid in Rajya Sabha on 07.02.2014. It contained 31 observations/recommendations. Replies of Government in respect of all the observations/recommendations have been examined and are categorized as under: - (i) Observations/Recommendations which have been accepted by the Government : Paragraph Nos. 2, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 (Total : 16- Chapter II) (ii) Observations/Recommendations which the Committee do not desire to pursue in view of the replies of the Government : Paragraph Nos. 9 and 12 (Total : 2 - Chapter-III) (iii) Observations/Recommendations in respect of which replies of the Government have not been accepted and which require reiteration: Paragraph Nos. 4, 6, 7 and 14 (Total : 4 - Chapter-IV) (iv) Observations/Recommendations in respect of which replies of the Government are of interim in nature: Paragraph Nos. 1, 3, 5, 8, 17, 18, 23, 30 and 31 (Total : 9 - Chapter- V) 7 1.3 The Committee desire that action taken notes on the recommendations contained in Chapter-I and final action taken notes in respect of the recommendations contained in Chapter-V of this Report may be furnished to them at the earliest and in any case not later than three months of the presentation of this Report. 1.4 The Committee will now deal with the replies received from the Government which need reiteration or merit comments. A. Early implementation of schemes for welfare of senior citizens during 12th Plan Recommendation (Sl. No. 4, Para No. 4) 1.5 The Committee were informed that the Ministry have set up an expert committee to formulate a few new schemes under the XIIth Five Year Plan for the welfare of the senior citizens which include the scheme for awareness generation for Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior citizens Act 2007, setting up a helpline for senior citizens at the National and District Levels, setting up a National Commission for senior citizens, and setting up a National Trust for the Aged. The Committee were anguished to note that the above schemes incorporated in the 12th Five Year Plan have not taken off so far, though, almost two precious years of the Plan period had elapsed. The Committee recommended that the Ministry take urgent necessary action so that these schemes are operationalized at the earliest. 1.6 The Ministry in their Action Taken Reply have stated: "Proposal for setting up a helpline for senior citizens at the National and District Levels is under active consideration of the Expert Committee set up by the Ministry. Appropriate action on setting up of other new schemes has also been initiated in consultation with experts in the field of geriatrics. The Standing Committee will be apprised of the action taken accordingly.” 8 1.7 The Committee had desired the Ministry to take action for creating awareness about the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, setting up a helpline for senior citizens at National and District levels, as well as setting up a National Commission for Senior Citizens and National Trust for the Aged which are part of their programme for 12th Plan. The Committee are not at all satisfied with the pace at which the Ministry have initiated action in the matter as they find that so far no concrete results have been achieved in this regard. The Committee, therefore, impress upon the Ministry that immediate steps should be taken to implement these schemes without further delay. 9 B. Harnessing of talent of senior citizens and their rehabilitation Recommendation (Sl. No. 5, Para No. 5) 1.8 The Committee noted that as per the census of India's projected value of expectation of life at birth (2011-15), the life expectancy of males and females is 67.3 years and 69.6 years respectively. The Committee noted that the National Policy for Senior Citizens recognizes productive ageing as the key to the welfare of senior citizens between the age of 60-70 years. The Committee felt that with the increase in the life expectancy and relatively better state of health of people, the Government need to look at continuity of employment upto 65 years/or greater post retirement opportunities for the senior citizens so that the society continue to draw upon their experience and tap their talent. The Committee desired the Ministry to seriously consider the various options which would include reviewing the age of retirement, reemployment opportunities for the retired persons subject to their physical fitness and mental agility and setting up a Directorate of Employment and Rehabilitation for Senior Citizens. 1.9 The Ministry in their Action Taken Reply have stated: "The issues raised by the committee have been noted. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 enacted by Parliament in December, 2007 defines Senior Citizen as any person being a citizen of India, who has attained the age of sixty years or above.