CONVICTION OF FORMER CMS INDICATION OF SCAM’S PERVASIVENESS

The conviction of former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam restores the faith of citizens in the Indian judiciary (Lalu convicted in fodder scam, may lose LS seat, October 1). The verdict is a rare instance of two former chief ministers, the second being Jagannath Mishra of the Janata Dal (United), being convicted – an indication of the pervasive nature of the scam. The amount in question was meant for provision of fodder for livestock. With a Supreme Court ruling that could strip convicted lawmakers of immunity from disqualification, this conviction will put Rashtriya Janata Dal party’s future at stake. Senior Citizens Policy, 2013, but we protest fixing 65 years as the eligibility age for senior citizenship (Public shame for dumping elderly parents under new sr citizen policy, October 1). In the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, the government of India has defined ‘senior citizen’ as a person who has attained the age of 60. The Central government’s ‘National Policy on Older Persons’ also recognises a person aged 60 years and above as a senior citizen. We at Silver Inning Foundation, on behalf of millions of senior citizens, strongly protest this arbitrary raising of age bar by the Maharashtra government.