(1) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for—
(a) the manner of holding inquiry under section 5 subject to such rules as may be prescribed under sub-section (1) of section 8;
(b) the power and procedure of the Tribunal for other purposes under sub-section (2) of section 8;
(c) the maximum maintenance allowance which may be ordered by the Tribunal under sub-section (2) of section 9;
(d) the scheme for management of old age homes, including the standards and various types of services to be provided by them which are necessary for medical care and means of entertainment to the inhabitants of such homes under sub-section (2) of section 19;
(e) the powers and duties of the authorities for implementing the provisions of this Act, under sub-section (1) of section 22;
(f) a comprehensive action plan for providing protection of life and property of senior citizens under sub-section (2) of section 22;
(g) any other matter which is to be, or may be, prescribed.
(3) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of State Legislature, where it consists of two Houses or where such legislature consists of one House, before that House.
STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS Traditional norms and values of the Indian society laid stress on providing care for the elderly, However, due to withering of the joint family system, a large number of elderly are not women being looked after by their family. Consequently, many older persons, particularly widowed are now forced to spend their twilight years all alone and are exposed to emotional neglect and to lack of physical and financial support, This clearly reveals that ageing has become protection a major for social challenge and there is a need to give more attention to the care and the older persons. Though the parents can claim maintenance under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the procedure is both time-consuming as well as expensive nance Hence, there is a need to have simple, inexpensive and speedy provisions to claim maintenance for parents. 2. The Bill proposes to cast an obligation on the persons who inherit the property of relatives to maintain such aged relatives and also proposes to make provisions for setting up old age homes for providing maintenance to the indigent older persons. The Bill further proposes to provide better medical facilities to the senior citizens and provisions for protection of their life and property. 3. The Bill, therefore, proposes to provide for:—
(a) appropriate mechanism to be set up to provide need-based maintenance to the parents and senior citizens.
(b) providing better medical facilities to senior citizens.
(c) for institutionalisation of a suitable mechanism for protection of life and property of older persons.
(d) setting up of old age homes in every district.
4. The Bill seeks to achieve the above objectives. MEIRA KUMAR.
NEW DELHI;
The 9th March, 2007.