The Telangana Assembly on Sunday passed a bill to deduct the salaries of private and public sector employees deemed to be neglecting and failing to support their parents, The Indian Express reported.
The 2026 Telangana Employees Accountability and Monitoring of Parental Support Bill allows salary deductions of up to 15% or Rs 10,000, whichever is lower. The provision will also be applicable to MLAs and MPs, as well as nominated members and elected representatives of local bodies.
It is unclear if the Legislative Council has cleared it.
Speaking in the Assembly, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said that the bill marked an important step toward providing protection for elderly parents, The News Minute reported. The Congress leader added that the proposed legislation is intended to instil fear among persons who have no respect for their parents.
Reddy added that people have forgotten human bonds and emotional ties, and have become immersed in a relentless pursuit of material comforts, financial gain and wealth.
“The rights of parents should be protected by goodwill,” The Indian Express quoted the chief minister as saying. “But the bill makes sure that the law is on the parents’ side when they are neglected.”
In a statement explaining the bill’s objectives, the state government said that instances of neglect of elderly parents are increasing and added that enforceable measures are required to reinforce family responsibility in a changing socio-economic context, The News Minute reported.
Noting that Article 21 of the Constitution asserts that the right to life includes the right to live with dignity, the bill added that parents are an inseparable part of the Indian family system.
“It is therefore considered necessary to provide enforceable norms among employees who neglect their parents and to ensure that every employee acts as a role model in society,” the proposed legislation added.
The bill allows senior citizens neglected by their children to file an application before the district collector, who has been made the designated authority to adjudicate cases, The Indian Express reported.
In their application, the complainants must state their reasons for seeking apportionment and disclose details of their income from all sources.
As per the bill, the district collector has 60 days to decide on the applications after hearing the parents and the children, the newspaper reported.
Subsequently, the authorities are to issue an order about the amount to be deducted, which will be credited to the parents’ bank account. The provision extends not only to biological parents but also to adoptive parents.
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