Minister chairs meeting with DMs and presiding officers

NEW DELHI: Delhi Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Thursday chaired a meeting with all the DMs and Presiding officers of all Maintenance Tribunal to look into the matter of the senior citizens of Delhi and problems faced by them due to non-compliance of order of the Tribunal and further misbehavior by their children. The Social Welfare Minister has directed the department to reduce the pend ency of maintenance and eviction cases at the level of Appellate Tribunal.

He futher added that to expedite the appointment of Non-official members for each Appellate Tribunal which will ensure that the proceedings of Appellate Tribunals are held regularly in absence of the DMs because of their engagement in other official duties. Gautam directed the department to expedite the work with regard to the matters of amendment in the Rules enhancement of Payment to Non-Official members from Rs.1000 to Rs. 4000 and relaxation of qualifications for members of Appellate Tribunals in their eligibility.

"All the DMs unanimously submitted that the cases under Maintenance and Welfare of parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 should not be delegated to courts so as to give a human and social touch to matters pertaining to Senior Citizen and the powers should be retained with DMs only as the matter being quasi-judicial. Moreover, the Act also envisages the same," Social minister has given consent on this.