Don’t senior citizens have a right to live with dignity?

Further to the letter titled, ‘ Time to increase the deposit for retired private sector employees’ in the Sunday Times Plus of 29/09/2019, I wish to add the following.

Retired senior citizens are those who have contributed immensely towards the growth of their motherland. In their senior years they should be sitting back and reaping the benefits of what they sowed! Is this what they are doing? ‘ The answer is plainly ‘ No’.

Just think what one can do with the monthly interest of mere a 14.06% or Rs 17,575 per month, from a fixed deposit of Rs. 1.5 million permitted to senior citizens under a special scheme.

Senior citizens are a vulnerable group subject to various ailments such as cardiac and kidney related diseases among others; who pay a massive bill for medicines - this apart from medical consultation bills and bills for obtaining medical lab reports. In such a scenario, how can one meet other monthly bills like urban facilities, subsistence etc.

The population in our country stood at 20.4 million in 2012. Now it must be around 22 million of which at least 20% or 4 million are senior citizens. Are all these people expected to go down as paupers? In other countries like Canada, the UK, USA and those in Europe, the governments look after their senior citizens. They are given a livable allowance and are entitled to various facilities.

Dear Finance Minister, could you please address this issue and increase the permitted threshold to a minimum of five million per senior citizen and permit these people to live a dignified life?

Basil Paiva

Via email