Kathmandu, April 11

School Teacher Record Office has started providing Identity Cards to retired teachers.

This is the first time the STRO has taken the initiative to give ID cards with logo of Nepal government to retired teachers.

Earlier, the retired teachers used to have pension book as their identity after retirement through which they could draw the pension released by the government.

Now after getting ID cards, the retired teachers can easily enter inside Singha Durbar, avail health treatment facilities and other services provided by the government for senior citizens.

Currently, there are more than 35,200 retired teachers with pension book, who can get their ID cards from the STRO. A minister-level decision on March 17 had paved the way for providing ID cards to retired teachers.

Sher Bahadur Dhungana, director general, STRO, said the ID card is the biggest identity for retired teachers and is a matter of pride for not only the teacher but also his/her family even after the teacher’s death.

“We aim to issue ID cards to all pension book holding teachers within six months,” he said, adding, “Till date, we have already issued 36 ID cards.”

According to Dhungana, STRO celebrated its 19th establishment day on April 8 on his initiative. On the same day, nine retired teachers received their ID cards.

Eighty-one-year old Rohini Prasad Khanal from Sankhuwasabha is the first person to receive the ID card. STRO issued nine ID cards on April 8, 18 ID cards yesterday and nine today.

“We are going to provide ID cards to retired teachers who already have pension book as well as those who come to our office to prepare pension book,” he added.

He informed that teachers were getting all kinds of facilities given to civil servants, but only ID card was missing.

The STRO used to give a symbol number to permanent teachers who pass the written exam and interview taken by the Teachers Service Commission. Similarly, the working teachers also get ID card from their respective schools but without government logo.

Till date, STRO has been providing pension and gratuity to retired teachers. Pension record file entry, pension book transfer and salary deduction are some of the other works performed by STRO.

More than 3,400 teachers have already left teaching after receiving gratuity.

Similarly, Nepal government had released Rs 2.15 billion last fiscal and 1.54 billion this fiscal for salary and pension of teachers.