Children Act, 1960
50. Contribution by parents
(1) The competent
authority which makes an order for sending a neglected child or a delinquent
child to a children's home or a. special school or placing the child under the
care of a fit person may make an order requiring the parent or other person
liable to maintain the child to contribute to his maintenance, if able to do
so, in the prescribed manner.
(2) The competent
authority before making any order under sub-section (1) shall inquire into the
circumstances of the parent or other person liable to maintain the child and
shall record evidence, if any, in the presence of the parent or such other
person, as the case may be.
(3) The person liable
to maintain a child shall, for the purposes of sub-section (1), include in the
case of illegitimacy, his putative father:
Provided that where the child
is illegitimate and an order for his maintenance has been made under 14[section
125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973], the competent authority shall not
ordinarily make an order for contribution against the putative father, but may
order the whole or any part of tile sums accruing due under the said order for
maintenance to be paid to such person as may be named by the competent
authority and such sum shall be paid by him towards the maintenance of the
child.
(4) Any order made
under this section may be enforced in the same manner as an order 14[section
125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973].