AGARTALA, June 8 (TIWN): In cities and towns, many senior citizens are aware of their rights. However, in villages, many helpless people are not being taken care of, Chief Justice of Tripura High Court Deepak Gupta has said.

 He was speaking at a seminar, “ Rights of parents and senior citizens with special reference to the maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens Act 2007” organized by Tripura Legal Service Authority here at Agartala Town hall today.

Justice Gupta  said there were complaints by elderly persons that their houses, land and other properties were forcefully or illegally grabbed by their children and relatives. Some of them had been facing harassment. Though there were other laws to protect them against land grabbing and other offences, the above said laws had a number of provisions to protect the rights and welfare of senior citizens. They would enable the senior citizens to get speedy justice.

Stating that a conducive atmosphere must be created for the peaceful living of senior citizens, Mr. Justice Gupta said the representatives of various forums, lawyers, non-governmental organizations and others should create awareness among people, particularly in rural areas of the provisions of the Acts. Senior citizens must be made aware of legal remedies against those grabbing their property or those who failed to take care of them.

The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act was a “total deviation from general law” in that senior citizens are not required to go in person and apply to the tribunal. They would also be able to file their requests for maintenance in the tribunal in the area where they reside, regardless of where their children or heir resided, he said.