In a novel initiative, the Telangana government has come up with a legislation to provide financial support to elderly parents who are neglected by their employed children.
The state assembly has passed the Telangana Employees’ Accountability and Monitoring of Parental Support Bill, 2026, aimed at ensuring financial security for neglected parents.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said the law mandates deduction of 15 per cent of an employee’s gross salary or Rs 10,000, whichever is lower, to be paid to parents in proven cases of neglect.
Parents can seek relief through authorities such as District Collectors, with appeals lying before the Senior Citizens Commission.
Calling it a social responsibility, the Chief Minister said the law seeks to restore dignity to elderly citizens amid rising cases of neglect.
“No parent should be left helpless in their final years,” he asserted, adding that the measure would act as a deterrent even if it cannot address every case.
He cited changing social values and material pursuits as key reasons for weakening family bonds, and stressed that both sons and daughters share equal responsibility towards their parents.
Referring to existing central legislation, he said gaps in enforcement necessitated stronger State intervention to protect senior citizens.
According to the bill, along with the employees working in the government and private sectors, the provisions will apply to the public representatives, including MLAs, MLCs, corporators, councillors, sarpanches and others.
Under the new law, the government will notify the district collector as the designated authority in each district for the purpose of adjudicating and deciding applications made by the parents. It will also constitute a Senior Citizens Commission, which will serve as appellate authority.
Similarly, the government also plans on constituting a state-level monitoring body to closely monitor the implementation of the provisions of this Act, said the minister.
“If any employee neglects parental care, the dependent parents can submit a written application to the designated authority seeking apportionment of the employee’s monthly salary,” the minister for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and senior citizens’ welfare, Adluri Laxman Kumar, said while tabling the bill in the House.
Such an apportioned amount will be paid directly to the parents every month by the appointing authority from the employee’s salary. “The parents should, prima facia, establish that they do not have an adequate source of income to maintain their livelihood in a dignified manner and that they need financial support from the employee,” Laxman Kumar added.
Upon receipt of an application from the parents, the designated authority must examine and dispose of the application within 60 days. If the application is not disposed of within this period, the parents can appeal before the Senior Citizens Commission within 45 days. The Commission should dispose of the appeal within a period not exceeding 60 days, the bill said.
It said the parents at any stage can withdraw an application or appeal or seek the cancellation of an order of apportionment of salary, whether before or at the time of hearing. “This can be done after the passing of such order or during the continuance of payment of the apportioned salary, by making an application to the designated authority of the Senior Citizens Commission,” the Bill said.
In case of the death of a dependent parent, the surviving parent can submit an application seeking transfer of the deducted apportioned amount to his or her bank account.
Explaining the objectives and reasons of the bill, the minister said the government was concerned over growing instances of neglect and lack of support to elderly parents. “While strengthening traditional family values in the modern socio-economic context, it is necessary to promote enforceable moral responsibility in the society,” he said.
Laxman Kumar pointed out that Article 21 of the Constitution of India asserts the right to life encompasses various aspects, including the right to live with dignity. “The parents of the employees are an inseparable part of the Indian family system and it is therefore felt expedient to provide for an enforceable morality through certain norms among those employees, who do neglect their parents and to ensure every employee leads as a role model in the society,” he added.
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