Act

Senior Citizen Act, 2006

All laws Acts

Type
Act
Year
२०६३ BS · 2006 AD
Status
In force
Category
खण्ड १६: महिला, बालबालिका, समाज कल्याण तथा संस्कृति · Volume 16: Women, Children, Social Welfare and Culture
Official text
Official page Official text (PDF)
English translation
Official English translation archived copy: the original page is no longer online
Translations may not include later amendments. The Nepali text is the authoritative law.

Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.

What does it do?

  • The Act protects senior citizens and provides for their social security. Family members must look after senior citizens according to the family's means and standing, and a senior citizen may not be forced to live apart from the family against their will; anyone using a senior citizen's property must care for them. Neglected senior citizens or their neighbours may complain to the ward chair, who mediates and can order care; appeals go to the local judicial committee, and abandoned senior citizens may be placed in care centres with their property used for their benefit.यस ऐनले ज्येष्ठ नागरिकको संरक्षण र सामाजिक सुरक्षाको व्यवस्था गर्छ। परिवारका सदस्यले आर्थिक हैसियत र इज्जतअनुसार ज्येष्ठ नागरिकको पालनपोषण र हेरचाह गर्नुपर्छ, ज्येष्ठ नागरिकलाई इच्छाविपरीत परिवारबाट अलग बस्न बाध्य पार्न पाइँदैन, र उनको सम्पत्ति उपयोग गर्नेले पालनपोषण गर्नुपर्छ। हेरचाह नपाएका ज्येष्ठ नागरिक वा छिमेकीले वडाध्यक्षसमक्ष उजुरी दिन सक्छन्; वडाध्यक्षले मेलमिलाप गराउँछन् र हेरचाहको आदेश दिन सक्छन्, जसउपर स्थानीय न्यायिक समितिमा जान सकिन्छ; अलपत्र ज्येष्ठ नागरिकलाई हेरचाह केन्द्रमा राखी उनको सम्पत्ति उनकै हितमा परिचालन गरिन्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 4–5, pp. 4–6
  • Added by the 2079 amendment, local governments may require children or close heirs with sufficient income to deposit a set monthly sum into their parents' bank account, enforceable through the employer; children who were themselves abandoned or not cared for by the parent are exempt. Begging by, mistreatment of, and coercion over the property of senior citizens are prohibited.२०७९ को संशोधनले थपेअनुसार स्थानीय तहले पर्याप्त आम्दानी भएका सन्तान वा नजिकका हकवालालाई बाबुआमाको बैंक खातामा मासिक रकम जम्मा गर्न लगाउनुपर्छ र रोजगारदातामार्फत कार्यान्वयन गराउन सकिन्छ; बाबुआमाबाटै पालनपोषण नपाएका वा घरबाट निकालिएका सन्तानलाई यो दायित्व लाग्दैन। ज्येष्ठ नागरिकलाई भिक्षा माग्न लगाउन, दुर्व्यवहार गर्न र सम्पत्तिका लागि दबाब दिन वा झुक्याउन निषेध छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 8–8ख, pp. 6–9
  • Public transport must reserve two seats for senior citizens with fare discounts, health facilities must give them priority, designated hospitals must give 50 percent discounts to a set number of senior citizens, and public utilities must prioritise them. Cases involving only senior citizens get priority, with free legal aid where needed; prison sentences are reduced by 25–75 percent depending on age (except for rape, acid attacks and similar crimes), and the government issues identity cards through local governments and may provide allowances.सार्वजनिक सवारीमा ज्येष्ठ नागरिकका लागि दुई सिट सुरक्षित राखी भाडामा छुट दिनुपर्छ, स्वास्थ्य संस्थाले प्राथमिकता दिनुपर्छ, तोकिएका अस्पतालले तोकिएको सङ्ख्यामा ५० प्रतिशत छुट दिनुपर्छ र खानेपानी, बिजुली, टेलिफोनजस्ता सेवामा प्राथमिकता दिनुपर्छ। ज्येष्ठ नागरिक मात्र पक्ष भएका मुद्दा प्राथमिकतामा किनारा हुन्छन् र आवश्यक परे निःशुल्क कानूनी सहायता पाइन्छ; उमेरअनुसार कैद सजायमा २५ देखि ७५ प्रतिशतसम्म छुट हुन्छ (जबर्जस्ती करणी, एसिड आक्रमणजस्ता कसुरमा बाहेक), र सरकारले स्थानीय तहमार्फत परिचयपत्र दिन्छ र भत्ता दिन सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 9–12, pp. 9–11; Sections 24–25, p. 19
  • A Central Senior Citizens Committee chaired by the minister for women, children and senior citizens, local senior citizen welfare committees and a senior citizens fund oversee implementation. Failing in the duty of care is fined by the local judicial committee; forcing a senior citizen to live apart, making them beg or become an ascetic against their will, mistreatment or property coercion, and misconduct by care-centre staff carry prison terms and fines tried by the district court, with extra penalties for public officials, offences against senior citizens over 75, and repeat offenders.महिला, बालबालिका तथा ज्येष्ठ नागरिक मन्त्रीको अध्यक्षतामा केन्द्रीय ज्येष्ठ नागरिक समिति, स्थानीय तह ज्येष्ठ नागरिक कल्याण समिति र ज्येष्ठ नागरिक कोषले कार्यान्वयन हेर्छन्। हेरचाहको कर्तव्य पालना नगरेमा स्थानीय न्यायिक समितिले जरिवाना गर्छ; अलग बस्न बाध्य पार्ने, भिक्षा माग्न वा इच्छाविपरीत संन्यासी बनाउने, दुर्व्यवहार वा सम्पत्तिमा दबाब दिने, र हेरचाह केन्द्रका कर्मचारीले बदनियत गर्ने कसुरमा जिल्ला अदालतले कैद र जरिवाना गर्छ; सार्वजनिक पदधारी, ७५ वर्षमाथिका ज्येष्ठ नागरिकविरुद्धको कसुर र दोहोर्‍याइएको कसुरमा थप सजाय हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated official text Sections 13–17, pp. 11–15; Sections 25क–27, pp. 19–21

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

Ideas to fix it

  • The Auditor General's 63rd report says the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens should prepare the laws, procedures, directives and standards needed for its assigned work, including a national senior citizens policy.महिला, बालबालिका तथा ज्येष्ठ नागरिक मन्त्रालयले राष्ट्रिय ज्येष्ठ नागरिक नीतिलगायत आफ्नो कार्यजिम्मेवारीअनुसार आवश्यक कानून, कार्यविधि, निर्देशिका र मापदण्ड तयार गर्नुपर्ने महालेखापरीक्षकको ६३औँ प्रतिवेदनको सुझाव छ। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General (63rd Annual Report) Office of the Auditor General, Nepal

Where does it conflict with other laws?

No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.

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