The Centre is preparing strict laws to ensure that children provide enough care and maintenance to parents during the last lap of their life.
NEW DELHI: With nuclear families becoming a trend of sorts in India, the government is preparing stringent laws to ensure that children provide sufficient care and maintenance to their parents during the last lap of their life.
Cracking the whip on those who shrug away their social and moral responsibilities of taking care of parents, grandparents and adopted parents, the government has, for the first time, decided to introduce a provision for penalty — ranging from a fine of Rs 5,000 to imprisonment for three months — while preparing a new law to protect the rights of parents and elderly.
The proposed Senior Citizens and Parents (Protection, Maintenance and Welfare) Bill 2006, drafted by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, recommends monthly maintenance from children, grandchildren, step and adopted children for the elderly. Besides, parents who have already willed their property can take it back if they are mistreated. The law would cover people from all religions.
“There is no point having a law without having any penalty provision. Penalties act as a deterrent,” said Nidhi Raj Kapoor of Helpage India, while welcoming the move. “But how much it works in the Indian context has to be seen since parents often do not complaint against their children,” she added.
“The Bill aims at converting moral duty into legal duty. If not by shame or love, children will now have to take care of their parents,” said an official.
The Bill has been renamed to include parents after hue and cry from the civil society and NGOs. “Since many aggrieved parents are below 60, it was feared they may not get the benefit of the law. Hence, the change,” the official added.
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