Bill in Lok Sabha seeks six months in jail to abusers of senior citizens
   Date :12-Dec-2019

Bill in Lok Sabha seeks s
 
 
NEW DELHI :
 
THOSE who intentionally abuse their parents or senior citizens under their care and protection or abandon them may be sentenced to six months’ imprisonment or slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000 or both, according to a Bill introduced in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (Amendment) Bill, 2019, piloted by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot in the House, also has provisions for the elderly to claim maintenance and for mandatory registration of senior citizens care homes and other such institutions which will have to comply with prescribed minimum standards.
 
The Bill defines ‘abuse’ as physical, verbal, emotional and economic abuse, neglect and abandonment, causing assault, injury, physical or mental suffering. “Children” in relation to a parent or a senior citizen means son or daughter, whether biological, adoptive or step-child, and includes son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandson, grand- daughter and legal guardians of minor children. The Bill provides for establishment of a tribunal for senior citizens to file claims for maintenance and assistance and such applications from those above 80 years of age should be disposed of within 60 days. Only in exceptional circumstances and for reasons to be recorded in writing, the tribunal may extend the period only once for a maximum of 30 days. For other senior citizens or parents, their applications will have to be settled by the tribunal within 90 days. 
 
 
LS refers data protection Bill to joint panel of Parliament
 
NEW DELHI:
 
AMID Opposition’s claims that it breached personal privacy, the LS on Wednesday referred the Personal Data Protection Bill to a joint select committee. Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, while moving a resolution in the House, said the bill may be referred to a joint committee of the House. The resolution was passed by voice vote. The panel will have 20 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The Upper House will give names of the members it wants to send to the panel. Reading out names, he said, the panel would consist of Meenakashi Lekhi, S S Ahluwalia, P P Chaudhary, Sanjay Jaiswal, Rajyavardhan Rathore, Kirit Solanki, Heena Gavit, Tejasvi Surya, Rajiv Rajan Singh, Arvind Dharmapuri and Ajay Bhatt.