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| India-Pakistan |
| Jail for Indians who neglect parents or grandparents |
| 2006-09-30 |
| NEW DELHI: Children and grandchildren not taking care of their elders would go to jail while running the risk of being disinherited from property bequeathed to them. After a year of brainstorming over the sensitive issue of 'penal clause' amid fears it could create rift in families, social justice ministry has concluded that the law would not work without a deterrent. The ministry will soon seek the cabinet nod. An important feature of the proposed bill is that it would provide protection to not just the 'old' but every parent in need of care. 'Old', by definition, is a person above 60 years, and would not cover a younger parent who may need looking-after. Giving it a wider range to include 'non-old' parents, social justice ministry has changed the legislation's name to "Parents and Senior Citizens (Welfare & Maintenance) Bill, 2006. It was conceived as "Older Persons (Maintenance, Care and Protection) Bill, 2005. Parents, below 60, would be legally entitled to maintenance if they have adult and earning children. Children should take care of their elders or else they could land in jail. The law would set up tribunals in every district where the aggrieved can complain about being neglected. |
| Posted by:john |