Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday launched the PRANAM Commission, a panel set up to look after the issues concerning a Bill brought in for protection of parents of state government employees.

The Parents Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring (PRANAM) Bill, stated to be the first-of its-kind Bill in the country, is an effort to protect elderly parents of government employees in their times of need, Sonowal said

"We have ensured that no state government employee can ignore their elderly parents and unmarried differently abled siblings. The PRANAM Bill is an effort from the state government to protect them and give them financial security," the chief minister said.

He, however, said it would be better if this Bill did not require to be implemented.

PRANAM Bill, which was approved by the state cabinet last year, makes it mandatory for state government employees to look after their parents and unmarried differently abled siblings who do not have their own sources of income.

As per the Bill, if the PRANAM Commission gets a complaint that parents of a state government employee is being ignored, then 10 or 15 per cent of the employee's salary will be deducted by the government and paid to the parents or differently abled siblings.

Speaking on the occasion, finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said this Bill would benefit 8 lakh parents of 4 lakh state government employees.