The Indian Medical Association, Hyderabad City Agreed to provide 20% concessions to Senior Citizens under "AASARA - GHMC" towards Out patient/In patient and other Diagnostic procedures.

The AP Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Assocations (APNA) also extending Support upto 10% to Senior Citizens in all "APNA" Hospitals, in Hyderabad City.

ASSOCIATION OF SENIOR CITIZENS OF TWIN CITIES

D.R.K. Parama Hamsa
General Secretary
Greater Hyderabad Sr. Citizens Council
Rural Sr. Citizens Welfare Association of A.P
HUDA Colony Asifnagar Owners & Residents
Welfare Society
Res : 12-1-490/40-B/23, HUDA Colony, Asifnagar, Hyderabad - 500028 PH: 23532149, 9440277203

Sri. R.N. Mittal
Chairman forAssociation of Senior Citizens, Hyderabad & Lions Club of Twin Cities,
G.S.B. Trust Day Care Centre for Elders
Lions Bhavan, Behind HDFC Bank,
Near Paradise Circle, secunderabad.
PH:23542719.

Dr. P. Vyasa Murthy
President
Society for serving seniors.
PH: 27846631

Sri. C.Narasimhan
Vice President for Sr. Citizens Forum,
Centinary High School Compound,
Near Jubilee Bus Stand, Secunderabad

Sri. N.A Kumar,
President for Sr. Citizens Forum
PH: 27817597. Sri.V. Gopal Rao
President
Organising Secretary for FAPSCO.
PH: 23061166.

Prof. V. Visweswaraiah
President,
PH: 27797215. Sri. G.S. Vittal
General Secretary
Central Pensioners Association.
PH: 23532049.

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when you know that there are good people to turn to, bad times suddenly W don’t seem so bad. A loving and supportive family is great, but sometimes they are not around when you need them. There are however, always people at the other end of a telephone line. All you might need is to make a call.

HelpAge India is one of the largest foundations for elderly care in the country, with regional offices in the four major metros and branch offices in 50 other cities in India.

Their helpline is a Toll Free Number (1800-180-1253), and provides information on everything from counseling to police protection to legal aid and looking for an old age home.

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Every fridge, car and holiday package is bought in anticipation of joy and comfort. If it is bad E enough to learn that the service is defective, it is even worse to realize that the seller is prepared to do nothing. 

Senior citizens are especially vulnerable to being taken for a ride. Several voluntary organisations in urban areas work on consumer rights and provide assistance in filing complaints in consumer courts according to the procedure laid down by the Consumer Protection Act.

The Act envisages a three-tier system to hear and decide consumer complaints, based primarily on the value of the compensation or goods being claimed.

If the compensation claimed or the value of the goods claimed in the complaint is a maximum of Rs 20 lakh, you can go to the district forums that are established by the state governments.

The second tier of the redressal mechanism is known as the state commission. The commission is also established by the state government and can entertain ? complaints where the value of the goods or services and compensation claimed exceeds Rs 20 lakh but does not exceed Rs 1 crore and ? appeals against the orders of any District Forum within the State; and ? take up a case pending before the district forum, if it feels that the forum has not exercised its powers in keeping with the law.

Finally, you can approach the third tier, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, in these cases: ? complaints where the value of the goods or services and compensation, if any, claimed exceeds Rs 1 crore; and ? appeals against the orders of any State Commission; and ? taking up a case pending before the district forum, if it feels that the state commission has not exercised its powers in keeping with the law.

The writer is a part of the vol untary organization Alternative Law Forum, based in Bengaluru.