The proposed ‘Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Amendment Bill’ has the following major salient features:

(i)  Definition of "children" and ‘parents’ has been expanded.

(ii)  Definition of ‘maintenance’ and ‘welfare’ has been expanded. 

(iii)  Mode of submission of application for maintenance has been enlarged.

(iv)  Ceiling of Rs.10,000/- as maintenance amount has been removed.

(v)     Preference to dispose of applications of senior citizens, above eighty years of age, early has been included. 

(vi)    Registration of Senior Citizens Care Homes/Homecare Service Agencies etc. have been included.

(vii)   Minimum standards for senior citizen care homes has been included in the Bill.

(viii) Appointment of Nodal Police Officers for Senior Citizens in every Police Station and District level Special Police Unit for Senior Citizens has been included.

(ix)  Maintenance of Helpline for senior citizens has been included.

Consultation/comments on the draft bill have been obtained from the concerned stakeholders such as Central Ministries/Departments/State Governments/UT Administrations/Members of the Civil Societies etc.

This information was given by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Rattan Lal Kataria in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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NB/SK/jk/SJ&E-1/20-11-2019