Telangana plans law to deduct salaries of govt staff who neglect elderly parents

The Telangana government is preparing legislation that would allow it to deduct a portion of the salaries of state government employees who fail to financially support their elderly parents, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy announced on Monday.

Addressing a public gathering, Reddy said the proposed law would make it compulsory for government staff to contribute to their parents’ upkeep. Under the draft proposal, if an employee is found neglecting their parents’ welfare, 10 to 15 per cent of their salary could be deducted and transferred directly to the parents’ bank accounts.

The Chief Minister said the bill would be prepared soon and introduced during the upcoming Budget session of the state Assembly. He also appealed to employees to take the initiative themselves rather than wait for legal enforcement. According to Reddy, the move was intended to ensure that ageing parents, especially from poor and middle-class backgrounds, were not left without financial support after their children secured stable government jobs.

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Describing the measure as a social responsibility rather than a punitive step, Reddy said many parents had spent their savings and effort on their children’s education and careers, only to be left vulnerable in old age. The government, he added, felt it was necessary to step in when that obligation was being ignored.

The announcement coincided with the launch of two new welfare initiatives, Bala Bharosa for children and Pranaam Day Care Centres for senior citizens. The Pranaam centres, set up at 37 locations at a cost of ₹1 crore each, are intended to function as support hubs for the elderly, providing meals and basic facilities. The state also introduced a scheme to supply assistive devices to persons with disabilities.

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At present, Assam is the only Indian state with a similar law. The PRANAM Act there allows deductions from the salaries of government employees who do not provide for their dependent parents. If Telangana passes its proposed legislation, it would become the second state in the country to formalise such a provision.