Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh Thursday stressed the need for a stringent Act in the state to deal with those who misbehave with their parents at their old age and force them to stay at old age homes.
The chief minister was speaking during the “International Day of Older Persons, 2022” observance at Iboyaima Shumang Lila Shanglen, Imphal.
He noted that the trend of sending their aged parents to old age homes has increased significantly. “Such culture will only make the state move backward,” added the chief minister.
Exhorting that parents at their old age should be given respect and taken good care of, CM Biren said making them (aged parents) feel insecure at their age can be termed as a crime against humanity.
Singh maintained that the Central and the state governments had taken up various schemes for the welfare of older persons.
He informed that the state is mulling over increasing the pension amount under Manipur Old Age Pension Scheme (MOAPS) and Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension (IGNOAP) from Rs 200 per month to Rs 1000 per month for beneficiaries of 80 and above years of age.
Around 25,000 older persons will be benefited from this initiative costing about Rs. 20 crore from the State exchequer, Singh said. He further informed that 16,000 additional beneficiaries had been provided old age pensions under MOAPS during the current financial year.
Singh further said that the state government had also introduced “Chief Minister’s Widow Pension Scheme” and 10,000 widows had been provided widow pensions of Rs. 500 per month. He mentioned that the amount of Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension and Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension had also been increased from Rs. 300 to Rs. 500 per month by contributing State Top-Up of Rs 200 per month.
Singh further appealed to those people who keep their parents at old age homes, to take their parents back home and take good care of them. He assured to give required assistance for their living from the Government side. He warned of taking legal action against those people who force their parents to stay in old age homes.
The programme organised by the state Social Welfare department was also attended by Social Welfare minister Heikham Dingo as president and Health Minister Dr Sapam Ranjan and additional chief secretary (Social Welfare) P Vaiphei as guests of honour.
Health Minister Dr Sapam Ranjan, while delivering his speech, stated that aged persons are the ones who imbibe knowledge of our cultures and tradition to the younger generation since time immemorial. He continued that the state government under the supervision of CM Biren had been taking up certain measures to take special care of older persons of the state.
As a part of the observance, CM Biren felicitated the state’s well known singer Konthoujam Bobin for his contribution to Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan campaign.
Director, social welfare Ngangom Uttam, officials of Social Welfare Department, older persons from different places of the state also attended the programme among others.
