HYDERABAD: Taking note of an increasing number of complaints of parental neglect, the state Cabinet, which met here on Monday, approved a Parents Support Bill mandating financial responsibility towards elderly parents. The Cabinet also cleared a set of legislative measures on hate speech, gig workers’ welfare and advocate protection.
Under the proposed law, if public representatives, government employees or private employees fail to take care of their elderly parents, 15% of their salaries or Rs 10,000 (whichever is lower) will be deducted and given to the parents as financial support.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had earlier indicated that the government was considering deductions from employee salaries. However, the inclusion of private employees in the Bill comes as a surprise.
The government has also decided to bring in an Act to curb hate speech in the state. The Cabinet approved the “Telangana Hate Speech and Hate Crime Prevention Bill, 2026”, on the lines of a law enacted by the Karnataka government.
The Bill seeks to curb hate speech and hate crimes, and aims to prevent social media posts, speeches and actions that disturb communal harmony or incite violence, riots and conflicts in the state. The government is likely to introduce this Bill in the ongoing Budget session.
The Cabinet approved the formation of a sub-committee to frame guidelines for the proposed Rohith Vemula Act, aimed at preventing caste discrimination in educational institutions. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka will head the panel with N Uttam Kumar Reddy, D Sridhar Babu, Damodar Rajanarasimha and Ponnam Prabhakar as members.
Cabinet gives nod to Gig Workers & Telangana Advocate Protection Bills
The Cabinet has approved the “Telangana Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2026.” There are around 4.2 lakh gig and platform-based workers in the state. Under the new law, workers must be registered with the government. A Welfare Board will be established and a Welfare Fund created. The Bill provides legal recognition, social security and protection of rights for gig workers, and has been revised to align with the Social Security Code recently introduced by the Union government.
The Cabinet also approved the Telangana Advocate Protection Bill, which aims to prevent attacks on lawyers and ensure their safety. The decision comes in the backdrop of incidents such as the murder of Vaman Rao and his wife, both advocates, and seeks to provide better security and legal protection to advocates.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet has decided to expedite the process of taking over the existing 69-km Hyderabad Metro Phase 1 from L&T. As per the sub-committee report, the government needs to pay around `15,000 crore, including debt, to acquire the Phase-1 project. Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) has been assigned responsibility for handling financial transactions and payments on behalf of the government, and will act as the nodal agency.
The Cabinet approved the report submitted by an independent expert committee formed to study the caste census conducted in the state. The committee, chaired by former Supreme Court Justice B Sudershan Reddy, prepared the report. The Cabinet discussed its findings and has assigned it to a sub-committee for further examination.