KATHMANDU, July 17

The government decision to provide additional Rs 500 as medical allowance monthly to elderly people has irked senior citizens, who have been protesting for the past thirty-one months with a charter of eight-point demand.

The Joint Senior Citizens Struggle Ad-hoc Committee, which has been demanding Rs 3,000 monthly allowance to the elderly, has slammed the government decision.

The government, in its budget for fiscal year 2015-16 on Tuesday, announced that additional Rs 500 as medical expenses (beside Rs 500 monthly social security allowance) will be provided to the people above 70 years of age.

At a press conference organised in the capital on Friday, the Joint Senior Citizens Struggle Ad-hoc Committee accused the government of ignoring its voices in the budget and warned to continue the agitation.

“We never demanded Rs 500; our struggle was for 50 per cent discount on public transport, 50 per cent discount on medical treatment at private hospitals and free treatment at government hospitals, among others and the government should address the demands in a package,” Joint Senior Citizens Struggle Ad-hoc Committee Chairperson Mahaprasad Parajuli said.

Only the people completing 70 years of age are entitled to the elderly allowance, but people above 60 years have been defined as ‘the elderly’ in the Senior Citizens Act, so they should be provided with the state facilities, said Joint Senior Citizens Struggle Ad-hoc Committee Vice-Chair Gam Bahadur Chhetri said.