Students write to PM requesting benefits for senior citizens

Over 3,000 schoolchildren have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to restore railway benefits for the elderly that were withdrawn recently.

The students of Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Meppayur, in Kozhikode took out the task as part of observing the International Day of Older persons on October 1. “These are the people who built this place for us. Our effort was intended to honour them as well as give them hope,” said A. Subhash Kumar, one of the teachers at the school.

The event titled ‘Pradhana mantrikku snehapoorvam’ (To the Prime Minister with love) was organised by the Student Police cadets of the school. They collected the letters from students and posted it on September 30. District vice president of the Kerala Senior Citizens’ Forum K.K. Govindan Kutty took part in the event.

Before the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, the Indian Railways offered a 50% concession for female senior citizens and a 40% concession for male and transgender senior citizens. But the benefit was withdrawn in January 2024. There has been widespread protest against the move in various States.

Published - October 04, 2024 07:57 pm IST