Home for Sr citizens: HC asks govts to file counter affidavits

Chennai, Sept 21: Madras High Court today directed the state and Union ministries to file an affidavit regarding regulating the Homes of Senior Citizens.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam before whom a petition by one S Krishana Murthy in its order said "the sum and substance of the grievance of the petitioner is that there are private players who are not establishing accommodation exclusively for the benefit of senior citizens on commercial terms."

"The question is whether such activity requires regulations and mechanism to ensure that what is promised is implemented, so that when senior citizens invest their hard-earned money for purposes of proper accommodation and facility, they should thereafter not be made them run from pillar to post to get what they had been promised", the bench said.

Krishna Moorthy, who appeared in person, in his petition submitted that "there are several senior citizens living in homes and it reflects the bad state of social order.

When they join senior citizen homes, the promoters who run these homes lure them with attractive offers for which they fell. Later, the costs of amenities provided were escalated several times leaving senior citizens no choice but to grudgingly succumb to it, he submitted.

Alleging that the managements running senior citizen homes are not transparent in declaring of administrative and financial matters, the petitioner said "senior citizens are left at the hands of self-centered persons running the homes".

The bench directed the Centre and state Governments to file their counter affidavits and posted the matter for further hearing to November 24.

PTI