Elderly people are among the fastest-growing demographics in Telangana. According to the Telangana State Statistical Abstract 2024, the number of people aged 80 and above in the state is projected to rise by over 80 per cent between 2021 and 2036. Their vulnerability to abandonment is also growing manifold. Though the Maintenance of Parents and Senior Citizens Act (2019) has stringent provisions, its implementation is limited due to two reasons: a lack of awareness and the need to take the help of tribunals to prove their case.
To address the problem to some extent, the Telangana government has proposed the Telangana Government Employees Accountability and Monitoring of Parental Support Act, 2026. The state cabinet has approved the draft law and is expected to be tabled in the ongoing assembly session. As per the law, if parents are abandoned, the state government would exercise its power to deduct either 15 per cent of the monthly salary or ₹10,000, whichever is less, and deposit the amount into the parents’ bank account. All the employees—state, central and private sector employees—are brought under the purview of this law.
The local media reports suggested that the abandoned parents could file a complaint with the head of the department or to the authority that the government is going to appoint. Once the case is decided, the parents could get monetary support. However, this relief would be available for the parents who don’t have any other source of income and solely depend on their progeny. The state government is going to introduce special software to implement this law.
The Telangana government has prepared this law on the lines of Assam’s Employees' Parent Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring Act, 2017, known by its acronym, PRANAM. Assam was the first state to introduce such a parental care law. Media reports said the legislation was framed in direct response to rising instances of aged and dependent parents being left unattended by their children. The government has appointed the PRANAM Commission to decide on the complaints. Once the lack of care is confirmed, the government deducts 10 per cent — and in exceptional cases up to 15 per cent — of that employee's salary and deposits it directly into the parents' account. The Act also covers differently-abled siblings with no independent source of income.
The state government has included central government employees, private employees and public representatives in this Act. Andhra Jyothi daily said a total of 10.5 lakh employees would come under the purview of this law. If the parents have no sons, the employed daughters must take care of the parents. In case of the son’s demise, the employed daughter-in-law shall support them financially. If the daughter-in-law is not an employee, a portion of the amount from the deceased son shall be distributed to the in-laws.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said his government would introduce this, along with two more laws to curb caste discrimination in educational institutions and prevent hate speeches. The parental care law received an overall positive response. On social media, some demanded that all parents should be helped with such protection, arguing for universalising the scope of the law.
