In a decisive step to ensure that elderly people are well taken care of, the Nepali government is introducing a law making it mandatory for the offspring to deposit a certain portion of their income in the bank account of their elderly parents, a senior Nepali Minister said.

In a press briefing, the Nepali government's spokesperson and Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Baskota said that a Cabinet meeting had decided to present a bill on amendment to the Senior Citizen Act-2006 with such a provision at the Parliament.

"The main objective of the proposed bill is to ensure that the lives of senior citizens will become easier and secure," he was cited as saying by Xinhua news agency.

"There are instances where even the people who have property worth millions of rupees (Nepali currency) have abused their own parents and have not taken care of them. So, we are introducing the law to discourage the tendency. Ensuring secure lives for the elderly people is also the pride for the nation."

The Current Senior Citizen Act-2006 has defined people aged above 60 years as senior citizens and talked about the responsibility of the children to take of their elderly parents. But it is the first time that a law is planned to make it mandatory for the offspring to make financial contribution to the care of their parents.

Baskota said that as per the proposed bill, the public officials, those working in the inter-government agencies, international agencies and private companies must deposit a certain portion of their monthly remuneration in the bank account of their elderly parents.

Those failing to adhere to these provisions will face penalty. "The penalty amount will be deposited in the account of the concerned parents," the minister said.

The proposed bill has also sought to control abuse and deception against senior citizens. Any attempt to snatch the property of senior citizens through lure or deception has been criminalized, he added.

--IANS

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