Rajbiraj, October 21

As many as 1,722 people were deprived of social security allowance before Dashain due negligence of Rajbiraj Municipality in Saptari.

Dalits, single women, elderly citizens and disabled, among other target groups, did not get the allowance before Dashain and it is highly unlikely that they will get the allowance before Tihar. The concerned authority has not provided them with the allowance since the beginning of the current fiscal.

The target groups have been deprived of the allowance although the Ministry for Local Development Office sent a letter to the municipality office three weeks ago directing the latter to distribute the amount.

“We visited the municipality office almost daily for the allowance before Dashain, but officials neither gave us the money nor any concrete answer on when the allowance would be distributed,” said Shiva Naraya Pariyar, of the municipality.

Another elderly citizen, Bhola Sha of the municipality, said officials made excuses to delay the distribution of the allowance. “It is not sure if we will receive the allowance before Tihar,” he added.

Local elderly citizens complained that they could not celebrate the festival as they were deprived of the allowance. They said the municipality office did not understand the target groups’ problems. They added that the allowance was distributed in other VDCs and municipalities of the district except Rajbiraj Municipality.

A staff at the municipality, Lokendra Chaudhary, said there are 193 Dalit elderly citizens, 649 other elderly citizens, 611 single women, 63 completely disabled, 11 partially disabled and 196 Dalit children in Rajbiraj Municipality.

Acting Chief Engineer at the municipality office, Hari Narayan Ram Rauniyar, said the distribution of social security allowance was delayed as the target groups had failed to open bank accounts, where the amount would be deposited.

“We have asked banks to open accounts for the beneficiaries as per the ministry’s direction,” he said. He added that the distribution was further delayed after office chief Bishnu Prasad Gurung was transferred some 22 days ago.

Rauniyar informed that he did not have the authority to approve financial transactions. “Former chief Gurung had refused to offer the amount in advance,” he informed. He said the allowance would be distributed after the new office chief is appointed at the office.

Sub-engineer sent to jail  

RAUTAHAT: Sub-engineer in Banjaraha VDC, Rautahat was sent to the jail on Wednesday for embezzling fund meant for distribution of social security allowance.

Sanjay Kumar Singh has been accused of bagging the allowance by forging signatures of 31 dead persons. Sub-engineer Singh had been taking the amount in the name of 31 dead persons of the VDC since five years. He was presented in court by the Office of District Attorney following police investigation on Tuesday.

District Police Office, Rautahat said Singh was sent to jail after he could not deposit a bail of nine lakh rupees.