Govt's apathy enrages senior citizens

KATHMANDU, July 15:Enraged by the government´s indifference toward their demands, senior citizens, who have been staging sit-ins in front of Department of Transport Management (DoTM) for the last four months, warned of intensifying their agitation on Monday.



A day after Finance Minister Shankar Koirala presented his budget speech, which did not dwell on their demands, the senior citizens gathered in Koteshwar and protested by blowing sankha (conch shell) and beating utensils, a form of protest they had stopped recently upon the requests of the DoTM staff.[break]



On Monday, over 400 senior citizens and people who sympathize with their cause took part in the gathering. Members from National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Nepal Women´s Commission (NWC) also joined them. The protestors have been carrying out the sit-in program from March 7 by forming a Senior Citizen Joint Struggle Committee.



The senior citizens have urged the government to ensure that they get 50 per cent discount on transport fares, as stipulated in the Senior Citizen Act 2006.

“We have conveyed their demands to the concerned ministries but no steps have been taken to address the issue,” said Urmila Biswokarma, one of the representatives from the NWC. “We will again submit a memorandum to the ministry and make sure this time the government will address their demands.”



Protestors turn down government´s offer



As the senior citizens intensified their protests, the DoTM called them for talks. The DoTM Director General Sudarshan Prasad Dhakal assured that they would prepare policies to ensure two senior citizens get 50 per cent discount on transport fares in public vehicles. But, they refused the government´s proposal right away.

“Their proposal was totally worthless for us,” said Maha Prasad Parajuli, chairperson of the struggle committee.



In addition to 50 per cent discount on transport fares, they have also demanded that their monthly social security allowances be increased to Rs 3000 from the current Rs 300. Similarly, they want separate wards for the elderly people at hospitals, free treatment at government hospitals and 50 percent discount at private hospitals.

Similarly, they have asked for 50 percent discount on electricity bill, telephone bill, drinking water and house tax. Likewise, they want some sort of discounts on items like LPG gas, cooking oil, among others.



The elderly people want separate arrangements at holy places like in temple, monasteries and mosques.

“Many politicians from different parties have visited us but they did nothing to get our demands addressed,” said Parajuli. “The government has treated us as if we are not Nepali citizens.”

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