Tripura: Minister calls for end on oldage home culture

Agartala: Tripura Social Welfare and Social Education Minister, Tinku Roy has called for the elimination of the practice of placing elderly individuals in old age homes, referring to it as a societal issue.

He also said that the Tripura government is currently providing social allowances to over 1.65 lakh senior citizens.

 “Elders are the pillars of society, offering invaluable wisdom and guidance. Both the state and country can greatly benefit from their experience. Those who are young today will one day grow old themselves. Therefore, society must work to overcome this 'disorder' of depending on old age homes and similar institutions for the care of the elderly," the Minister stated.

Roy stressed that true respect for elders must be shown in order to make events like the International Day of Older Persons truly meaningful.

His comments came during the state-level celebration of Senior Citizens Day at the Muktadhara Auditorium.

In his inaugural address, the Minister underscored that senior citizens are the backbone of families and should never be neglected. Their advice and experience should be sought and valued.

"Elders deserve respect, and that respect should start in our homes. The trend of placing the elderly in care homes is a societal problem that needs to be gradually phased out," he added.

Roy also highlighted that there are currently six homes in the state managed by NGOs, and both the central and state governments have introduced initiatives aimed at the welfare of the elderly. These include programs for the socio-economic upliftment of the disabled, nutritional support for pregnant mothers, and the prevention of child marriage.

He further shared that the state has around 40,000 disabled individuals, of which 30,000 have received UDID (Unique Disability ID) cards. Additionally, 1,65,013 senior citizens in the state are receiving allowances.