Nanganallur seniors find a voice in the corridors of power

| S VENKATESHWARAN |

A meeting on senior citizens welfare was held at the Chennai Collector’s office on October 31, 2025. The meeting was attended by Mr. V. Rama Rao, member of the recently-formed Senior Citizen Maintenance and Welfare Committee of the Tamil Nadu government.

He submitted several important requests for the benefit of elderly residents living in Nanganallur, Adambakkam and Pazhavanthangal. He pointed out that nearly 90,000 people live in the areas and among them, about 36,000 are senior citizens.

Mr. Rama Rao requested that an Anbucholai be established in Nanganallur, explaining that many elders live alone while their children go to work, and a peaceful day-care centre would give them companionship and support.

He then suggested setting up a government-subsidised elders home in Nanganallur or nearby areas, as private homes are costly for lower middle-class seniors.

He also stressed the need for each police station to earmark at least one police constable to attend to senior citizens who require protection, make regular visits and respond to urgent needs.

Additionally, Mr. Rama Rao requested special financial assistance for elderly parents and caretakers of

physically-challenged individuals, as the existing monthly support of Rs. 1,500 was very low.

Collector Rashmi Siddharth Zagade responded that Anbucholai centres have already been opened in three places in Chennai and more locations will be considered, including NGOs with space and willingness.

She said decisions on setting up government elders homes will depend on overall government policy. She also agreed to look into issuing instructions to ensure that police stations provide dedicated support for registered seniors.

On increasing financial support for caretakers of physically-challenged persons, she explained that it is a state-level policy matter.

Under out-of-agenda discussions, Mr. Rama Rao requested the reintroduction of free pneumonia vaccination for senior citizens aged above 65 years, as the injection costs around Rs. 4,500 privately and pneumonia is a serious risk for elders.

He suggested organising special camps for this by the government and Greater Chennai Corporation, as done earlier. The Collector assured that this request will also be considered.

The meeting concluded with positive assurance that the suggestions will be examined for the welfare of senior citizens across Chennai.