From CK Nayak
New Delhi: The world’s aged population is increasing including that of India and matrilineal Meghalaya, the first-ever national conference on ‘ageing’ held by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment here was informed on Tuesday.
“The elderly population in Meghalaya is growing at a faster rate and rapid urbanisation, education and modern life style has added to this deep social problem,” State Social Welfare Minister JA Lyngdoh said. In addition poverty is becoming one more problem for the elderly since the economically fragile families are not able to take care of them, he said.
Inaugurating the two-day conference Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Kumari Selja said that the 21st century is witnessing a gradual transition to an ageing society all over the world including ours.
As per the 2001 census, the total population of senior citizens (60+) was 7.7 crore, the Minister said adding this figure is projected to go up to 12.40 per cent of the population by 2026.
Meghalaya like all other states is facing this problem of aging population, Lyngdoh said. “But the State has taken the responsibility of taking care of this once productive population through various schemes and means,” he said.
The Meghalaya Government has also roped in NGOs who are playing vital role in providing services to the elderly and senior citizens, Lyngdoh said. It is also trying to create social awareness among the younger generation about the aged, he added.
The Union Minister said that ageing poses twin challenges – first, we need to ensure care and protection of the elderly so that they can lead a healthy, dignified and productive life and secondly, the aged must be looked upon as partners in progress rather than as burden on the society, which is the case if their existence is seen from the prism of contribution to the GDP.
The existing National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) envisages State support for the elderly to ensure financial and food security, health care, shelter and protection Ms Selja said.
An important element of the policy is that it recognizes the need for special attention to vulnerable older persons, particularly the older women, and the need for expansion of social and community services for the older persons.
Giving details Lyngdoh said that the State sanctions a token grant of Rs 2200 to ailing aged and destitute who are without any means of subsistence and unable to support themselves.
In addition under Chief Minister’s Social Assistance Schemes a pension of Rs 500 per month is also distributed to infirm and aged, he said.
The State Minister demanded that institutional care like old age homes and nursing homes should be provided to the aged through more help from the Centre.
Besides the States Ministers of Social Welfare/Social Justice representatives from International Agencies, representatives from Central Ministries and Departments, NGOs, eminent senior citizens and officials of the Ministry and the National Institute of Social Defense attended the conference.