Parliament likely to back off from provision of 10 percent deposit in parents’ bank account

Kathmandu, Dec 23, 2019 : The Women and Social Development Committee, House of Representatives has directed its secretariat to prepare a report about Senior Citizens (first amendment) Bill. The instruction was given on the basis of discussions, consultations and consensus in regard with the matters.

In today’s committee meeting, Committee President Nirudevi Pal informed that the clause-wise deliberations, theoretical discussions and consultations with experts in regard with the bill had been completed, directing the  committee secretariat to build a report for the presentation in the next meeting.

The Committee had received the bill from the House on April 26 and 18 members had formally sought amendment to it. 

In response to the query by RSS in regard with the progress on the matter so far, President Pal said the bill was drafted keeping the interests of senior citizens at first and we were close to the tentative agreement on the creation of an atmosphere for handing senior citizen’s skills, knowledge, experiences and resources to a next generation and the building of parks and other comfortable zones for the convenience and entertainment of senior people.

The Committee spent time for in-depth discussions on one of the provisions of the bill: whether to make children legally binding to deposit 10 percent of their income in parents’ bank account or not through several angles.

The condition of Nepali society is that a majority of parents were not neglected by their adult children and only a few percent of people are devoid of their responsibilities towards their (dependent) parents and it seemed no necessary to make the provision mandatory, it is said.  

“Culture, religious tradition and family bond existing in the Nepalese society is unlike of other countries and we discussed the issue from the angle that whether such bond could collapse if the provision was made mandatory. And finally, the committee is close to an agreement of not making the provision legally binding,” she said.

However, the Committee is univocally agreed on the provision that if any senior citizen is finding hard for livelihood, local government can deposit certain amount of income of child (ren) of such person in former’s bank account.

The bill incorporates the provision that if any senior citizens has no child to take care of, the responsibility shifts to the State.

Some lawmakers were of the views that people assuming public posts should compulsory contribute certain amount of their income for the care and protection of senior citizens.

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