THE MAINTENANCE AND WELFARE OF PARENTS AND SENIOR CITIZENS

The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act - 2007

This Act makes a legal obligation for children and heirs to provide maintenance to parents and senior citizens, by monthly allowance.

This Act provides a simple, speedy and inexpensive mechanism for the protection of life and property of the parents and senior citizens. 

In this modern society, the Joint Family System is being eradicated slowly from our culture because of the implementation of Harass Legal Provisions of women laws against family members. Because of that newly married couples left the joint family and started living separately. This causes the withering of the joint family system. As a result, the parents and senior citizens of our society are forced to live alone and are exposed to various kinds of problems such as lack of physical, social, emotional and financial support. To overcome such difficulties and to face new challenges, the Government of India has enacted this law in the fifty-eighth year of the republic so as to provide maintenance and protection to parents and senior citizens through MWPSC Act-2007. 

The Government thinks once it enacts the law the problem is solved. If it is solved means then why we need another law to enact. When will the enacting process of law come to end? Actually enacting a new law creates so many cumbersome problems in our society and to those new problems, our Government is enacting another new law. So this goes on expanding without an end like our universe.

For example in the MWPSC-2007, a parent is sent out of home, they might not have any money in their hand and they do not know what to do at that age. "A sound body only gives a sound mind". Further, at that tender they definitely will not have a sound mind, they would not know any awareness about the said act. From, 2007 onwards the said Act is in enforcement. Whether the Government has a statistical report regarding how many the parents and senior citizens are thrown out from their home and left without care and how many of them have used the said Act so far and won the case. Is there is any organization or mechanism to monitor the pitiable condition of the parents and senior citizens of our country!

The said Act provides the in-expensive and speedy procedure to claim monthly maintenance for parents and senior citizens and casts obligations on children to maintain their parents/grandparents and also the relative of the senior citizens to maintain such senior citizens. 

The main attraction of the said Act is there are provisions to protect the life and property of such persons. 

The said Act also provides setting up old age homes for providing maintenance to the indigent senior citizens and parents. 

The said Act extends to the whole of India including the Jammu and Kashmir state.

Meaning for the Important Terminologies used in the said Act:- Definition 

1)  Children - Include son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter but does not include a minor.

2)  Maintenance - includes provision for food, clothing, residence, medical attendance and treatment.

3)  Parent- means father or mother whether biological, adoptive or stepfather or stepmother, whether       or not father or mother is a senior citizen.

4)  Senior citizen - means an Indian who attained the age of 60 years or above.

5)  Relative - means any legal heir of childless senior citizen who is not a minor and is in possession         of or would inherit his property after his death.

6)  Welfare - means provision for food, healthcare, recreation centers and other amenities necessary           for senior citizens.


Maintenance of Parents and senior citizens

A senior citizen including a parent, who is unable to maintain himself from his own earning or out of the property owned by him, is entitled to get relief under this Act. Children/grandchildren are under obligation to maintain his or her parent either father, mother or both. Likewise, a relative of a senior citizen is also bound to look after the senior citizen. If such children or relative is not maintaining his parents or senior citizen respectively, then the parents/senior citizen can seek the assistance of Tribunal constituted under this Act, to enforce the remedy of maintenance. Such parents/senior citizens can file an application before the Tribunal, claiming maintenance and other reliefs from their children/relatives as the case may be.

Such an application for maintenance can be filed before the Revenue Divisional officer by the senior citizen or a parent himself, or if such a person is incapable, then by any other person or any registered organization authorized by him. The Tribunal can also suo motu take cognizance of the case. After receiving the application the Tribunal may issue notice to the respondent-children/relative and provide them time to furnish their reply. Such an application for maintenance should be disposed of within 90 days from the date of service of notice of the application to the respondent. However, the Tribunal can extend time for a maximum period of 30 days in exceptional circumstances after recording reason. The Tribunal is having power to allow interim maintenance pending disposal of the case. Even though the application can be filed against any of the children/relatives as the case may be, such respondent-children/relatives can implead other persons who are liable to pay maintenance.


Protection of life and property of Senior citizen

If a senior citizen after the commencement of this Act, has transferred his property either moveable or immovable, by way of gift or otherwise, subject to the condition that the transferee shall provide him basic amenities and physical needs and thereafter such transferee reuses or fails to provide such promise, such transfer of property shall be deemed to have been made by fraud, coercion or undue influence and the Tribunal can declare such transfer as void. Before the enactment of this law, a senior citizen's only remedy in such a case was to approach the court for maintenance from the children to whom he had given the property by way of gift or otherwise and such property would be the exclusive property of the transferee and the senior citizen had no right in such property. But after the enactment of this Act, a senior citizen can reclaim his property from the transferee. The concerned police personnel will also ensure priority in dealing with these types of cases. Representation by lawyers is prohibited under section 17 of this Act. However, the Hon'ble Kerala High Court held that legal practitioners also could represent cases under this Act.

Abandoning a senior citizen in any place by a person who is having the care or protection of such senior citizen is a criminal offence and such person shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or fine which may extend to five thousand rupees or both.

This Act also provides that state governments may establish old age homes at least one in one district to accommodate indigent senior citizens. State governments may also ensure proper medical care for senior citizens.