Odisha to help senior citizens ill-treated by their children

Bhubaneshwar: Odisha government has directed all the district collectors for stricter enforcement of the existing rules for the safety and welfare of senior citizens.

In an order, the government has asked the collectors to ensure effective implementation of the provisions under The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents Senior Citizens Act, 2007. “I have three daughters and one son but none of them care for me which is why I am forced to stay at this place,” said Jayanti Behera, an inmate of an old-age home in Keonjhar.

According to a report released recently, around 60 to 70 per cent of elderly residents in the country are victims of abuse. “Many elderly parents feel that they are being abused while majority of them are actually ignored, abused and abandoned by their children who fail to maintain a balance between professional and personal life,” said Odisha head of HelpAge India, Bharati Chakra on Sunday. Recently, the Bihar Cabinet had approved a proposal to punish those who abandon their parents.