Telangana passes landmark Bill to dock salary of employees who neglect their parents
The Telangana Employees Accountability and Monitoring of Parental Support Bill will allow senior citizens to file an application before their District Collector if they are not supported by their salaried children.
Telangana parental support Bill: The state government has tabled a law proposing salary deductions for employees who fail to financially support their dependent parents. (File Photo)
The Telangana government on Sunday passed the Telangana Employees Accountability and Monitoring of Parental Support Bill, 2026, in the Legislative Assembly. The Bill proposes to bring about salary deductions for private and public sector employees deemed to be neglecting and failing to support their parents.
The law will also be applicable to MLAs and MPs, as well as nominated members and elected representatives of local bodies.
The Bill allows salary deductions of up to 15% or Rs 10,000, whichever is lower.
Speaking during the debate over the Bill, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said, “The rights of parents should be protected by goodwill. But the Bill makes sure that the law is on the parents’ side when they are neglected.”
The Bill was introduced because “dependent parents… 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 society”.
It also says that “despite the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007… there remains a need for a more focused and enforceable mechanism to ensure accountability of employed children, particularly those drawing salaries from government and private sectors, towards the maintenance and well-being of their dependent parents”.
Under the Bill, senior citizens who are neglected by their children can file an application before the District Collector. The Collector will be the designated authority for adjudicating cases. The complainants should state their reasons for seeking apportionment, and are expected to divulge details of their income from all sources.
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After the complaint is submitted before the District Collector, the officer should dispose of the petition within 60 days of receipt, as per the Bill. The parents and the employee will have to be heard during this time. An order specifying the amount to be deducted will be issued after this hearing. The deducted amount will be directly credited to the parents’ bank account. The Bill extends support not only to biological parents but also to step-parents.
It proposes the formation of a Senior Citizen Commission to handle appeals against the Collector’s orders in such cases or delays in disposal. The commission will be headed by a chief commissioner who will be a retired high court judge. The commission will also include two members with experience in administration, government or the social sector. The commission will have quasi-judicial powers, including the authority to conduct inquiries, summon witnesses and impose penalties.
The Bill further says, “In the event of the death of a dependent parent, the surviving dependent parent may submit an application to the designated authority or the senior citizens commission, seeking transfer of the deducted apportioned amount to his or her bank account.” However, in the event of the demise of both parents, the employee concerned can submit an application to the designated authority demanding cancellation of the order to deduct their salary.
Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice.
Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include:
Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India.
Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism.
Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities.
National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting.
Authoritativeness & Trust
A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society.
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