Gujral moots interest-free housing loans for the aged

Enough attention was not paid to the concerns of the aged in India, Gujral lamented, adding that this was especially true in the case of town planning. While in places like Denmark, construction layouts were worked out by keeping in mind the needs of the aged, such a thing was unheard of here, theformer prime minister observed. The judiciary needed to pitch in with guidelines regarding concessions in housing and tax, he added.

Chief Justice of Bombay High Court M B Shah on the other hand deplored the deteriorating social culture in a country which had a tradition of revering the aged. In fact, the decline was so steep that now one had to talk about the rights of old people, while obligations were forgotten, he remarked.

The judiciary had stepped in as and when those responsible for the aged failed to perform their duties properly, he said, adding that laws alone however could not ensure that the aged were cared for. Justice K T Thomas of the Supreme Court observed that with the number of the aged expected to touch 71 million by the turn of the century, no government could afford to ignore such a sizeable population.