Children Can't Neglect Aged Parents In Himachal Pradesh, Says State Minister

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh has started implementing a policy making it mandatory for children to take care of their aged parents failing which the senior citizens can claim maintenance allowance from their kids, according to a state minister.

"The state government is implementing the Himachal Pradesh Maintenance of Parents and Dependents Act which makes it mandatory for children to look after their aged parents and other dependents or pay a maintenance allowance. SDMs(Sub Divisional Magistrate) have been declared as nodal officers to oversee its implementation," Social Justice and Empowerment minister Dhani Ram Shandil said today.

Complaints can be sent to sub-divisional magistrate to seek redressal of their grievances and get maintenance allowance of up to Rs 5000 per month and till date more than 250 persons have availed benefit under the Act, he said.

He said that under the Integrated Policy for Older Persons, government has opened four old age homes at Bhangrotu in Mandi, Kalath in Kullu and Dari in Kangra and at Basantpur in Shimla which has a capacity of more than 115 people.

During the previous year, state government had spent Rs 47.89 lakh for supporting old age homes and a provision of Rs 92 lakhs has been made for the current year.

He said that the Government has also issued old-age identity cards to 1,97,876 people so as to help them avail benefits under various welfares schemes.

He further said that under the social security measure, a total of 2,23,143 older persons in Himachal Pradesh are getting Social Security Pension out of which 1,56,082 eligible persons below 80 years are getting Rs 650 per month and 67,061 eligible persons above 80 years are being paid Rs 1200 per month.