The State Council, or the Chinese cabinet, published Thursday regulations on guarantee for the living of rural seniors or disadvantaged.

Rural seniors and disadvantaged people who are not able to earn a living and have no supports from their family members should be given care and help in food, clothing, housing, medical service and burial, according to the regulations. Rural disadvantaged minors under or above 16 years old should be secured with the money for a compulsory education, it said.

"The fund for supporting the helpless should be arranged from local government budgets or revenues of rural collectives," said the regulations, which will be effective on March 1, 2006.

The central government will also set aside money for the helpless where the local governments face financial difficulties.

Service centers and facilities for the helpless should be taken into account when local governments work out their social and economic development programs and all the staff working with the supporting centers should be well-trained, according to the regulation.

(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2006)