Senior citizens stage protest, demanding fulfilment of various asks

Unmindful of the scorching son, scores of senior citizens took out a protest march and staged demonstration in Hubballi on Tuesday (March 24) seeking fulfilment of their long-pending demands, including uniform pension rules across the country, separate budget for senior citizens, and others.

As announced earlier, the protestors first congregated at Nehru Stadium in Hubballi before beginning their protest march in the presence of Sri Basavalinga Swami of Rudrakshi Mutt.

Led by B.A. Patil, State president of Karnataka State Senior Citizens and Retired Employees Welfare Association, and other office bearers, including few from their national body, the protesters covered the thoroughfares of the city, including Ambedkar Circle, Siddappa Kambali Marga (Lamington Road), and Kittur Chennamma Circle, before reaching the Mini Vidhana Soudha, where they submitted a memorandum to the taluk officials.

Earlier addressing the protesting senior citizens, Mr. Patil had said that after the dharna by the association members during the Winter Session in Belagavi, Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar had promised to take positive steps after consulting with officials.

However, as nothing happened, they approached the State’s chief secretary, who in turn directed Shamla Iqbal, secretary of the Department of Women and Child Development and Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens, to look into the issue. Subsequently, the secretary wrote to various departments about implementing the orders that were issued regarding their demands. However, so far, no steps have been taken to fulfil their demands, forcing them to take the path of agitation, the secretary said, adding that their protest was against both Union and State governments.

Association office-bearers D.T. Patil, Lingaraj Angadi, M.P. Kumbar, S.M. Kolur, Dharanendra Javali, Hemagiri Pattanashetti, women’s wing president Sunanda Bennur, and others led the protest march.

During the protest march, the senior citizens raised slogans stating that they would not votes for candidates who were apathetic towards their demands.

Their other demands included declaring around 20 crore senior citizens in the country as “national assets”, setting up a separate Ministry for the welfare of senior citizens at both the Centre and State levels, a pension of ₹10,000 for all senior citizens who possess Below Poverty Line cards, extension of free bus service to male senior citizens, and resumption of railway fare subsidy.