TAMIL NADU SENIOR CITIZENS’ ASSOCIATION

The Tamil Nadu Senior Citizens’ Association (TANSECA) is an organisation committed to the welfare of senior citizens living in Tamil Nadu, constantly striving for the fulfillment of their aspirations for a better quality of life. The association which started as pensioners’ organization in 1987 widened its objective in 1991 and changed itself into a senior citizens’ forum. The association, with over 2000 and odd members, is now celebrating its Silver Jubilee.

While providing a platform for all senior citizens to come together and mutually benefit from the rich experience possessed by each of them, it also enables them to agitate for their rights and privileges. The association acts as a powerful vehicle to carry all the important issues concerning the senior citizens to various authorities functioning under the State and Central Governments.

Photo identity cards issued by the Association to its members enable them, along with their spouses, to enjoy various kinds of concessions from doctors, nursing homes, hospitals, diagnostic centres and chemists. Constant efforts taken by the association over the years, side by side with other similar organizations in the country, have resulted in various concessions being extended to the senior citizens including those in the matter of rail and air travel, hospital facilities, interest on bank and postal deposits, income tax exemption, medical insurance, preferred treatment in public offices, courts, etc.

In addition to the activities briefly mentioned above, the association periodically organizes contact meetings, medical camps and picnics and tours for its members and their families. The tours organized by the association particularly have been immensely popular. The tours cover not only places of interest within the state and country but also to exotic places off the shore, like Andamans, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia. So far, the association has organized more than 60 tours involving more than 1800 senior citizens and their family members.

The association publishes a monthly journal called “Elders” which carries news, views and information of interest to elders. This journal which highlights the activities of the association has been in continuous publication for about 15 years. The association has plans to start a day care centre to be later developed into a home for the aged. It is on the lookout for a suitable property for purchase with financial assistance from Government and non-government sources to put through the project.

The association has established a charitable trust called TANSECA CHARITABLE TRUST for promoting charitable activities for the benefit of the aged poor. Donations to the Trust qualify for income tax deduction under section 80G of the Income Tax Act. Several acts of charities have been done through this trust, worthy of mention are the donations made to extend relief to the victims of the Gujarat Earthquake and the Tsunami.

The association is a registered society and is run by a periodically elected Executive Committee, members of which work wholly on voluntary basis. Membership of the association is open to anyone aged 58 and above residing in Tamil Nadu. Enrolment is only as a life member and the benefit of the membership extends to the spouse without any additional subscription. The life membership fee is Rs.1000 only and includes life subscription for the magazine “Elders”. More than one-tenth of the present members are above the age of 80.