New Delhi, April 8

The Supreme Court today sought the Centre’s response to a PIL by former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar for setting up old age homes and exclusive hospitals for the rising population of senior citizens in each of the 622 districts in the country.Arguing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur, Kumar pleaded that this was necessary as most of the old people were living in poverty — without any roof over their head or proper clothes and food. They were also increasingly becoming victims of abuse and violence.Kumar acknowledged that the Centre had put in place several laws and schemes such as the National Policy on Older Persons 1999, the old age pension scheme 1995, the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 and the Integrated Programme for Older Persons. The government also announced a health care policy in 2010-11. — TNS