Raising pitch for the cause of the aged, a group of activists on Friday demanded that the Centre constitute a universal non-contributory old age pension system for all senior citizens above 55 years.
The activists, including prominent RTI activist Aruna Roy, gathered here to ask the Centre to usher in a new pension policy and set up a universal scheme wherein pension is paid to all senior citizens, especially those who come under the unorganised sector.
"Life expectancy of people has increased as a result of our booming health sector, but, with age, the body is unable to cope with the skills required to earn a living. It is the State's obligation to provide succour for these people," Roy said.
Describing as 'dismal' the condition of the aged in the unorganised sector, she sought a minimum amount of monthly pension not less than Rs 2,000 for such people.
The elderly in vulnerable groups and socially stigmatised communities such as sex workers, trans-genders and HIV positive patients should also be included, she said.
Roy, who leads Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, also said the APL/BPL criteria should not be used for exclusion of any individual and all senior citizens should come under the purview of the proposed pension system.
Currently, people above 60 years get a pension of Rs 200 per month and those over 80 get Rs 500 under the Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme instituted by the Ministry of Rural Development.
"However, this is limited to people living below the poverty line. Of the total elderly population, only 1.87 crore are beneficiaries of this scheme," Roy pointed out.
Large-scale migration of youngsters from rural areas, mushrooming of nuclear families and poverty, among others were cited by the activists to highlight the causes for deterioration of the condition of the aged in the country.
"At 8.2 per cent of the total population of the country, the elderly number is close to 10 crore, with one sixth of them living without any family. It is the government's responsibility to ameliorate their condition," Annie Raja, General Secretary of National Federation of Indian Women, said.
The activists also mooted the idea of levying a cess on the industrial sector to meet the expenses of the proposed pension system and to ease burden on the state exchequer.
"This could be an important source of funding and would cover a significant proportion of the amount needed to provide pensions," activist Baba Adhav said.
Under the aegis of Pension Parishad, a dharna would also be staged from May 7 to 11 at Jantar Mantar in the capital in which about 2,000 working poor from 9 states will be present.