Protection of Senior Citizens, A bold Initiative from Udupi Dist Administration
Udupi: The Udupi District Administration has taken a bold step and issued clear instructions in the matter of enforcement of the orders of the District administration relating to the Senior citizens, within a week of issue of the orders. Similarly, the Municipal and Panchayat Staff and Executives should enforce all such directives within two days of receipt of the orders for transfer of the Khata etc. as agreed by the District Authorities said Dr Ravindranath Shanbhag President, Human Rights Protection Foundation, Udupi.
Addressing the press persons he explained the enforcement of the orders taken by the district administration. Senior Citizen, Florine Castelino, aged 74, owned ancestral property of about 3.45 acres in the village Kirkalu in Udupi District. Of her four sons, two are employed in the Gulf and the remaining two stayed and looked after her.
She made a will way back in 2011 and wished to distribute the ancestral property equally amongst all the four sons. But her eldest son, who had come from the Gulf on vacation, misled her and took her to Sub Registrar’s office and got the entire property registered in his single name. Florine came to know about this scheme of her eldest son only when she received the notice for transfer of the Khata from the Village Panchayat. She then complained to the Senior Citizens Maintenance Administration to get justice.
The inquiry of this case was completed in May 2018 and orders were issued immediately for cancellation of the aforesaid registration for grabbing land by the Eldest son. The Assistant Commissioner issued orders for re-registration of the land usurped by the Eldest son in the name of Mrs Castelino. Nothing happened for about 110 days after the issue of the orders.
Rajeevi Shedty and her family moved from Office to Office for getting Justice.
In a similar case involving another Senior Citizen, by name Mrs Rajivi Shedty from Kenjoor village in Udupi Taluk had complained to the Authorities, about the injustice meted out to her by her Eldest son. This Eldest son was given a part of the Ancestral land of over 1.17 acres and the ancestral residence for taking care of the parents. Within a short time of about three months, this son and his wife started ill-treating the parents and even subjected them to physical assault.
Exasperated by their behavior, both the Senior Citizens moved out of the regular residence and engaged a rental accommodation. The District Administration taking care of the Senior citizens issued orders in May 2018 for annulment of the earlier registration in the name of the son and restoration of the property back to the parents after making suitable changes in the registration records at the office of the Sub-registrar.
In both the above cases matter was taken up for enforcement of the orders of the Assistant Commissioner with the sub-Registrar. For over three months there was no progress in the matter.
On 18th September 2018 a meeting was organized in the office of the Deputy commissioner Udupi for speedy resolution of the issues involving the Senior citizens. Just before attending this meeting, the Sub Registrar had enforced the orders of the Assistant Commissioner and made fresh registrations in favour of the Senior citizens in both the aforesaid cases. The Sub-Registrar, the Municipal and Panchayat Authorities too were directed by the District Administration to take all steps necessary to give the property rights to the Senior Citizens and change the Khata in favour of the Senior citizens within two working days.
The Senior Citizens who were going from one office to another for implementation of the orders of the Assistant Commissioner for cancellation of the earlier registrations and the registrations in favour of senior citizens now need to approach Sri Niranjan Bhat of the Department of Women and Child Welfare at the District Office for this purpose.
By this one novel step, the District Administration, Udupi has rendered yeoman service to the cause of Senior citizens and need to be complemented in full measure.
In the last several years, whenever the Senior Citizens were subjected to injustice by their kith and kin and the District administration in different Districts of Karnataka tried to give them relief by passing necessary orders, the implementation of their decisions were inordinately delayed by the different agencies required to take steps for the purpose. The senior citizens in spite of their poor health and limited earnings were required to run from pillar to post.
In the meantime, the Respondents against whom such orders were issued, used to knock at the doors of the Honourable High court for a stay of the orders in favour of the Senior citizens. Once the matter goes to the High court any favourable decision for Senior Citizens used to take several years if not decades and getting justice looked like more of a mirage. Thus the whole exercise at the office of the Assistant Commissioner in administering justice to Senior Citizens was getting nullified in reality.
Even when the Human Rights Protection Foundation Udupi took up this matter with the authorities concerned at all levels nothing much came out of it.
With the decision of the Udupi district administration to appoint Niranjan Bhat as the implementation officer, a signal service has been renered to the cause of senior citizens. immediately after the issue of orders by the assistant commissioner, the police dept., the sub-registrar’s office, the revenue dept., the Municipal and Panchayat authorities have to take immediate steps within two/three working days.
This is a great step worthy of emulation all over the nation. Our organization has already approached the other states and the central government to follow the example of Udupi administration.