Will amend property law to protect elderly: Koppula Eshwar

Minister Koppula Eshwar said that necessary steps would be taken to amend the law to facilitate senior citizens to take back their "property will" written in the name of their children.

Hyderabad: Social Welfare Minister Koppula Eshwar said on Saturday that necessary steps would be taken to amend the law to facilitate senior citizens to take back their “property will” written in the name of their children.

He said he would take the issue to the notice of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and Health Minister T Harish Rao to set up a special cell for the convenience of senior citizens who are planning to undergo treatment in hospital.

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Speaking at the 31st International Day of Older Persons at Rabindra Bharati, the Minister said the Chief Minister had introduced many schemes for the welfare of all communities. The Aasara scheme was introduced with an objective that the elderly and differently abled persons should not suffer.

He said plans were chalked out to establish old age homes in all district headquarters to help senior citizens and added that necessary funds were also sanctioned. The families should realize the fact that certain laws were already in force to ensure protection to the senior citizens.

The Minister assured that he would strive to introduce a topic on the welfare of senior citizens in the school curriculum from the next academic year. He emphasised the need to make parents aware of the responsibilities of parenting right from school. Similar to the SC, ST Atrocities Act, awareness must be created on the laws meant for the welfare of senior citizens, he said.

He released a poster containing a toll-free number – 14567 and added the same number would be implemented across the country. Earlier, senior citizens used to visit from pillar to post at the government offices to get pensions but after the TRS government came to power, the pension amount was directly transferred to the beneficiaries’ accounts.

Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, who was also present on the occasion, said the State government was according top priority to all communities.