Kapilvastu, November 1:

Senior citizens and destitutes of Kapilvastu district are not celebrating Tihar this year. The reason being simple as that: They have not yet received the government allowances, which they were supposed to get during Dashain, even during Tihar.

“We are expecting to receive it,” Jamali Tharu, an 80-year old resident of Pakadi VDC, told this daily. The district development committee Kapilvastu disbursed allowances meant for the concerned people of 50 VDCs and Kapilvastu municipality some two weeks ago, but they have not received the money till now. Nonetheless, they hope they will get hold of the money pretty soon.

Ram Milan Chaudhary, a 70-year old resident of Kapilvastu Municipality-8 Lamaki said: “Even the meagre sum of money that we receive as allowances would have been sufficient for us.” He lamented the unconcerned attitude of the concerned authorities.

However, the VDC secretaries say the delay is largely due to the current situation. They say they could not stay in the VDCs and discharge their duties due to the insurgency.

The government provides monthly allowances of Rs 175 and Rs 125 to senior citizens and helpless people. Chudamani Pande of Jehadi VDC said: “We do not know for how many village development committees the funds have been disbursed.”

The Maoists, on the other hand, said they had not set any hindrances against the distribution of the allowances.