The Karnataka State Legal Services Authority will write to the Transport Department asking it to reserve more seats for senior citizens in government and private buses, said KSLSA member secretary Hanchate Sanjeevkumar here on Monday. He said this at an interaction with senior citizens, law officers, police and representatives of NGOs working for senior citizens welfare.

K. Ramesh Rao, Secretary, Mangaluru Senior Citizens’ Association, said the elderly were not being allowed to sit on seats reserved for them in government and private buses in the city. “Bus conductors are not ensuring it,” he said and added that this was the common grouse of elderly visiting the association.

Mr. Sanjeevkumar said the particular issue prevailed all over the State. “This was raised during the sensitisation programme held in Bengaluru (in February 2019),” he said.

To a question by an Assistant Sub-Inspector from the Udupi Women Police Station about funds that can be used by police for rehabilitation of destitute elderly women who are rescued, an official from the office of Udupi District Disabled Officers said there were no exclusive funds available for the purpose. The government releases an annual grant of ₹8 lakh for the care of 25 elderly persons in an old-age home in a district, he said.

Police delay

On the grievance on inordinate delay by police in registering FIRs following rescue of destitute elderly persons, IGP(Western Range) Arun Chakravarthy said agencies rescuing elderly should give priority to their care. “You record the statement of the rescued person later and report to the police. This itself is an FIR,” he said.

This interaction was part of sensitisation programme on the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007. It was jointly organised jointly by the KSLSA and NIMHANS.