Bhopal, April 22: All the senior citizens belonging to wealthy families who have been evicted from their houses by their sons/daughters or family members and are living in Old Age Homes would be identified. Such old people would also be given Old Age Pension and their offspring or family members would be penalised after filing cases against them for evicting the old people. This decision was taken at a meeting of the state level committee constituted for amending the proposed Old Age Policy. The meeting held at the Mantralaya was presided over by Woman and Child Development Minister Sushri Kusum Mehdele.

On the instructions of Sushri Mehdele, it was decided to constitute a sub-committee comprising all the members of the state level committee. The sub-committee would prepare the final draft after amending Senior Citizens Act and state's proposed Old Age Policy. The committee would prepare the final draft within two months in the light of suggestions made by the members and discussions with them. Sushri Mehdele also gave instructions for convening first meeting of the sub-committee on May 12.

During the discussion on members' suggestions, Sushri Mehdele informed that Vradhhjan Panchayat would be held by the state government in near future.

Addressing the meeting, Sushri Mehdele said that the state government would consider the suggestions and proposals made by the members with an open mind. Problems of senior citizens would be solved with sensitiveness and impediments would be removed. When some members raised the issue that some provisions of Union government's policy for senior citizens are not in favour of senior citizen, Sushri Mehdele said that such provisions would be studied and if need be the state government would oppose such provisions at the proper platform.

The meeting discussed effects of policy for senior citizens, constitutional provisions, main areas of mediation, salient features of the policy and its implementation. The meeting also decided to identify the old widows who are solely dependent on others having no income or property of their own. Welfare schemes would be chalked out for such old widows.

On the suggestions made by the members, Sushri Mehdele gave instruction to chalk out a draft for a pension plan for the employees who have put in five to 10 years' service in private and public sector organisations with a view to providing them financial security. This draft would be prepared after studying Union government's provisions.

Those present at the meeting included committee member Shri Daulatram Patel, Madhya Pradesh Pensioners' Union' Mandsaur representative, Shri SK Saraswat, Senior Citizens Group's Bhopal representative Shri Krishnakant Bhatt, Shri Badri Prasad Gupta and former MLA from Sihora, Shrimati Rani Dube and Additional Chief Secretary Social Justice and Woman and Child Development Shri R.N. Berwa, Additional Secretary Shri Jabbar Dhakwala, Joint Director Social Justice Shri S.G. Bawankule and incharge Deputy Director Shri Alok Sharma.