Misbehaviour with elderly a social problem: Council

Panchkula, June 15

In the absence of qorum the Parents Maintenance Act Tribunal, Panchkula, is non-functional. Files of 25 cases of elderly, who are abused and harmed, are gathering dust for the past six months at the tribunal’s office.

This was disclosed by RP Malhotra, general secretary, Haryana Senior Citizens Council, during a programme organised to mark the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on the premises of Senior Citizens Council office here today.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Sampreet Kaur was the chief guest on the occasion. She stressed on the need to look at the problem of abuse of elders from a social point of view. She said this was a sensitive subject related to human relations and that there was a lack of sensitivity in government institutions in this connection.

Senior citizens organisations should come forward to work together and with the help of legal framework, the elderly people should be protected, she added.

Keynote speaker Manbir Rathi of the District Legal Service Authority apprised members about misbehaviour with elders by their families and legal help under the same.

Speaking on the occasion Panchkula Senior Citizens Council president NK Sharma assured that the council would come forward to extend all possible help to elderly, who were victims of misbehaviour. He said the council would strengthen Happiness Committee, so that victim could be reached immediately whenever information regarding their abuse was received.