Margao
The All Goa Senior Citizens Federation has expressed concern over the rising number of cases wherein senior citizens have been cheated of their properties in the state.
Though the law allows for safeguarding of the senior citizens' properties, many are still unaware of it, the federation said.
Speaking at a recently held event to celebrate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the federation president Diago D'Costa said they had several cases wherein the elderly were manipulated and cheated of their properties.
In one case from Mapusa, D'Costa said a son had made a deal with a builder to sell the property and build a housing complex with a flat for himself and had kept his parents in the dark.
"When his elderly parents learnt about it, the federation helped them in filing a complaint with the deputy collector, who is the head of the tribunal in each taluka. It is unfortunate, however, that the elderly couple passed away," D'Costa said.
In yet another case, he said, an 87-year-old woman who had no heirs was cheated of her property by an advocate who pretended to be good to her and asked her to sign a power of attorney. "However, at the sub-registrar's office, the sale deed was signed without her knowledge. The woman who is now 90 years old approached the federation which is pursuing the case with the Salcete deputy collector," he said.
"This particular lady was unaware for three years that she had signed her property over to this person. Following this case, we have written to authorities that senior citizens are being cheated in this manner and that they should help senior citizens in making sure that they know the contents of the documents they are going to sign," said D'Costa.
The Maintenance and Welfare of Senior Citizens/ Parents Act, 2007 has provisions by which even if a senior citizen executes a gift deed, with the condition that their basic needs are taken care of, and if the condition is not being fulfilled, the court has the power to make the agreement invalid and return the property back to the senior citizen, he informed.
"In Salcete, the tribunal is functioning relatively well. We have managed to resolve around 100 cases of maintenance and welfare of senior citizens. But in many other talukas of Goa, there is little or no awareness. People are not aware of these tribunals and we as a federation are trying our best to create this awareness," said D'Costa.