Chennai, Sep 8 (IANS) Members of the Tamil Nadu Senior Citizens Welfare Movement have urged the state government to establish a statutory commission to safeguard the rights and welfare of the elderly.

As part of their campaign, they have prepared and submitted a draft Tamil Nadu Elders Rights Commission Bill, 2025, to Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Minister P. Geetha Jeevan.

The call comes at a time when the state’s elderly population is growing rapidly.

As per the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s report ‘Elderly in India 2021’, the number of senior citizens in Tamil Nadu rose from 75.10 lakh in 2011 to 1.04 crore in 2021, representing 13.6 per cent of the total population.

Projections indicate that the elderly population will cross 1.42 crore, or 18.2 per cent of the population, by 2031.

This rise is attributed to declining fertility and mortality rates and increased life expectancy due to advances in healthcare.

The welfare movement has argued that elderly people in the state are often neglected, abused, and deprived of proper care. They pointed out that many face age-related health conditions and memory loss, yet lack adequate facilities to live with dignity.

They stressed that a statutory body would be able to address these challenges effectively, ensuring protection of rights and access to essential services.

Concerns were also raised about the disparity between urban and rural areas. While old-age homes are concentrated in cities, rural pockets continue to be underserved.

The activists said that every elderly person, irrespective of their location, must be provided equal care and attention. They also suggested that the government establish day care centres in rural areas and introduce recognition programmes for volunteers who support senior citizens.

On its part, the state government has sanctioned the setting up of day care centres in every district, although most of them are expected to come up in urban areas first.

Regarding the demand for a statutory commission, officials indicated that the proposal would be examined in detail at forthcoming high-level meetings, keeping alive the possibility of a dedicated commission for the elderly in Tamil Nadu.

—IANS

aal/rad