Central Govt. & Railway Pensioners to join silent protest march of senior citizens at chandigarh Chandigarh, Dated: 8-8-2010 Members of Coordination Committee of Central Government Pensioners Associations (CCCGPA) and Railways Senior Citizens Welfare Society (RSCWS), Chandigarh, will join the various NGOs of Senior Citizens in the tricity, led by the Chandigarh Senior Citizens Association in the ‘silent protest march’ on August 16, 2010, to express their full support and solidarity with the millions of ailing and starving senior citizens in various parts of the country due to non implementation of the various laws & policies by the States and the Union Governments. This decision was taken in a meetings of CCCGPA & RSCWS here recently - where in a unanimous resolution was also passed to this effect calling upon the Government to accept the main demands of the Senior citizens. It also called upon all senior citizens of the tricity to join the silent protest march as a part of the ‘Senior Citizens’ National Protest Day’ on August 16, 2010. The meeting rued that the National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) – formed in 1999 and the “Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act” (enacted by Parliament in 2007) had not been implemented in any of the states in India. Harchandan Singh Secretary General CCCGPA & RSCWS regretted that while the GDP & the wealth of the nation was growing, the poor and the down trodden – especially amongst the senior citizens were not being taken care of due to unconcerned attitude of the authorities at all levels and non implementation of even well intended policies of the Government. The main demands of senior citizens include Health Insurance for all Senior Citizens with modest premium and without restrictions of “entry and exit age” and “pre-existing health conditions”, early implementation of the “Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act” in all States and Union Territories, implementation the existing NPOP (National Policy for Older Persons) with adequate budgetary support, Uniform age of 60 years for Exemption under Income Tax Act and Old Age Pension for all Senior Citizens and Additional Pension to Pensioners / Family Pensioners who are 65 years & above for meeting health related requirements – as done in case of those of 80 years and above. These demands form part of the 15 point charter of demands to be submitted to the Prime Minister of India through Administrator of UT Chandigarh and Governor Punjab.
Harchandan Singh, Secretary General, CCCGPA & RSCWS, 32, Phase- 6, Mohali -160055. | 
