Today, On 5th May, The Delhi High Court directed the chief secretary to make a decision regarding a representation on the collection of data on senior citizens. The petitioner stated that despite making multiple representations to the authorities, no action was taken, leading him to seek judicial intervention.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court instructed the chief secretary of Delhi to address a plea for initiating a door-to-door survey to determine the number of senior citizens in the city and to build elderly homes in each district.
The high court emphasized that the plea should be considered as a formal representation and resolved promptly, ideally within 12 weeks.
The Delhi High Court, acknowledging the importance of the issue, directed the Chief Secretary to consider the representation and take necessary actions. The court highlighted the need for a coordinated approach involving multiple stakeholders to ensure that the data collection process is comprehensive and inclusive.
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The bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora, stated,
“This court directs the present writ petition to be treated as a representation to the Chief Secretary, Delhi government, who, in turn, is directed to decide the same in accordance with law, as expeditiously as possible, preferably within twelve (12) weeks.”
The court passed the order while disposing of the petition filed by Salek Chand Jain, who also sought the court’s direction to the Delhi Police to maintain a separate data of offences being committed against senior citizens.
Advocate Dinesh P Rajbhar, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that at present there are only two government-run or aided old age homes in Delhi.
He said,
“One is at Bindapur, which is being run by the Delhi government on Private-Public Partnership (PPP) model, and another at Lampur that is funded by the Delhi government.”
The counsel mentioned that another senior citizens‘ home is operated by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). He argued that senior citizens often face neglect and discrimination from their own families, emphasizing their need for special care, love, and attention.
The petitioner stated that despite making multiple representations to the authorities, no decision taken, compelling him to seek judicial intervention.
In conclusion, the Delhi High Court’s directive to the Chief Secretary to address the representation on senior citizen data collection marks a pivotal step towards strengthening the support system for the elderly. By ensuring accurate and comprehensive data, the government can better understand the challenges faced by senior citizens and implement effective measures to improve their quality of life.