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Seniors demand state subsidies

Financial assistance needed for old people but government can't afford it
Seniors demand state subsidies
Protesters participate in a silent march to urge the government to provide monthly stipends for the elderly
Published: October 03, 2011 09:11 AM GMT
Updated: October 05, 2011 12:13 PM GMT

Senior citizens took to the streets over the weekend to demand monthly allowances from the government, to mark International Elders Day. More than 700 activists, government officials and representatives from the World Health Organization and international NGOs joined the silent march at Battaramulla in the capital on October 1. Carrying placards that demanded vocational training as well as stipends, demonstrators said the state must join church organizations in providing support for the country’s aging population. “Alfred Kulas, 70, a parishioner at Our Lady of Victories church in Pesalai in the Diocese of Mannar, said the needs of the elderly have already strained the Church’s ability to provide aid. “Our Church already constructed a house for an elderly union to use, but it can’t give financial assistance. We are struggling to survive, improve our working skills and acquire knowledge to help the development of our country.” Sri Lanka, according to government statistics, has more than 1.6 million of its estimated 20 million residents over the age of 60. “Commemorative days are not about organizing ceremonies or getting politicians to a podium. Officials have to be warned of the danger that is not far off,” said Kulas. Social affairs minister Felix Perera, who attended the march, told participants that the government has decided to provide an allowance for people over the age of 80, though the expense would be hard to bear. “It is difficult to pay for all our senior citizens because the number is 206,000 over the age of 80,” he said. “It may be a burden to the economy in future due to the increasing number of elderly. Therefore, the government has to take some action to face the challenges.” According to Father Saveri Viton Aritappar, a parish priest and director of the Society of Elders, the Catholic Church runs more than 30 homes for the elderly in 11 dioceses in Sri Lanka. Thilak De Zoysa, president of HelpAge Sri Lanka, who organized the event, said the march and an accompanying petition campaign aimed to put pressure on the government to allocate special funding for the elderly.

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