Elderly Parents File 8,594 Neglect Complaints Across Telangana Since 2021
A total of 8,594 complaints have been filed by elderly parents before Revenue Divisional Officers across Telangana between 2021 and August 2026 under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act. The highest volume of grievances came from urban centers, with Hyderabad recording 1,078 cases, Medchal-Malkajgiri reporting 989 cases, and Rangareddy logging 912 cases. Together, these three districts accounted for nearly 35 percent of all complaints filed in the state.
State government data revealed a sharp increase in complaints in recent months, with nearly 3,100 cases filed between April 2025 and August alone. Prior to 2025, annual registrations hovered between 1,100 and 1,300 cases across the state. Substantial numbers were also reported from districts such as Karimnagar, Nalgonda, and Hanumakonda, which each registered between 500 and 600 complaints during the five-year period.
Officials attributed the rise in cases to increased awareness, improved access to grievance redressal mechanisms, and new legal safeguards. In March, the Telangana Legislative Assembly passed the Telangana Employees Accountability and Monitoring of Parental Support Act, 2026. The legislation mandates that public representatives as well as government and private sector employees support their elderly parents. Violations can lead to a salary deduction of up to 15 percent or Rs 10,000, whichever is lower, with the deducted sum paid directly to the parents. Six to seven cases have already been registered under this new legislation and are currently undergoing adjudication.
V. Sarveshwar Reddy, director of the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities, senior citizens and transgenders, said property disputes frequently form the core of these complaints. He noted that parents frequently report that adult children fail to provide basic necessities, including food and healthcare, or refuse to vacate parental property while denying them rental income or financial support.
Reddy cited specific enforcement actions where authorities intervened to evict adult children from senior citizens' homes, including the eviction of a son from a retired police constable's house in Miryalguda, Nalgonda district. A similar eviction was carried out in Warasiguda in Hyderabad to restore property possession to a retired South Central Railway officer.
To make grievance filing easier, the state government has launched a dedicated website allowing senior citizens to submit complaints online. The government has also constituted a dedicated commission to handle major cases and appeals to streamline hearings and reinforce protections for the elderly.
