Govt increases social security allowance of senior citizens

KATHMANDU: The government has increased social security allowance of the senior citizens.

Presenting the budget of the fiscal year 2019/20 at the joint session of the Federal Parliament, Minister for Finance Yuvaraj Khatiwada announced that the social security allowance of the senior citizens was increased by Rs 1,000.

With this, the social security allowance of senior citizens (above 70 years) has reached Rs 3,000 per month.

Similarly, Dalits, senior citizens of Karnali state, people with full disability and partial disability above 60 years have been incorporated in this programme.

The social security allowance being provided to terminally disabled, disabled, single women and people from indigenous communities has also been increased by Rs 1,000.

Likewise, the budget has adopted a policy of bringing within the parametres of social security the families of martyrs and enforced disappeared persons as well as combatants with disabilities.

The then Prime Minister Man Mohan Adhikari had initiated the old age allowance from Rs 100.