"I have failed as a minister and a parliamentarian but I do not want to fail as a citizen," he told a Supreme Court bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta during the hearing of a PIL by him raising issues of evolving acceptable solutions and schemes for protection of rights of the elderly and establishing old age homes in all districts.
When the bench asked how he had failed as a minister or an MP, Kumar responded by saying "collectively (failed)".
The bench said it would have an idea of the existing schemes only when the government tells about them and their working.
"There may be 10 different schemes. You (Centre) are in a position to give us the list of schemes along with the list of persons who are responsible for the implementation of these schemes," the bench told Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand.
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During the hearing, Kumar, who was also the Law Minister during the erstwhile UPA government, said there were around 11 crore such people whose rights have been denied.
Anand told the apex court that the government will look into the issues raised by Kumar, a senior Congress leader, in his plea and there is a policy which is under discussion.
When the bench referred to the schemes of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), the former minister said there has to be some mechanism as "the problem is far too serious".
had earlier sought the assistance of NGO HelpAge India and NALSA, which provides free legal services to weak and vulnerable sections of society, in the matter while seeking the response of the government on the plea which also sought a hike in budget allocation for the purpose.
It had asked NALSA to spell out feasible steps that can be undertaken for protection of the rights of aged citizens in implementation of the existing laws, schemes and policies.
Kumar, a senior advocate and a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab who has filed the PIL himself, had said there were a large number of aged people whose number has been increasing, with most of them living in poverty, without any roof over their heads or proper clothes and food. The budgetary allocation for their welfare has also been paltry.
He had referred to a report of the parliamentary standing committee on the concerned department dealing with the demand for grants for 2015-16, saying the amount allocated as the budget estimate stage was Rs 50 crore in 2014-15 which was cut down to Rs 25 crore at the revised estimate stage and only Rs 10.45 crore was utilised.
The petitioner has sought that adequate number of old age homes be established in the country and direction be given to maintain and operate such homes with adequate standards to enable the elderly live their life with dignity and in accordance with section 19 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (MWP Act).
Besides, the Congress leader has also sought the establishment of full-time Tribunals in every state as mandated under the MWP Act, to look into applications for maintenance made by senior citizens.