Date:10/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/10/stories/2008081058980300.htm

New Delhi

Capital’s senior citizens have a new address

Staff Reporter

Website seniorcitizenindia.org launched

NEW DELHI: Former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptulla launched a website for senior citizens in the Capital on Saturday. The website will offer information about the various facilities being offered to senior citizens by different Ministries of the Government.

The website, seniorcitizenindia.org, will also offer information about various non-government organisations that work with senior citizens. The programme was organised by former Union Minister Vijay Goel under the aegis of the Senior Citizen Federation.

Raise demands

Ms. Heptulla said that with the launch of the new website senior citizens would now be able to raise their demands through the Senior Citizen Federation. She regretted that the Government had not kept its promise of giving senior citizens more interest on their fixed deposits.

Mr. Goel announced that the federation would contact various market associations to provide special discounts for senior citizens on consumer products. He said the federation would also approach various Ministries to offer more facilities to them.

“Delhi,” Mr. Goel said, “is home to about 9.5 lakh senior citizens, which is about 8.5 per cent of the country’s total population of senior citizens.”