The government had announced Rs 140,000 in cash relief per family for the final rites of their relatives killed in the quake. "All my belongings, including important documents like citizenship certificate, have been buried under debris of my collapsed house. But the District Administration Office said they will not provide me the cash relief for my mother's funeral without my citizenship certificate," said Tamang. "When I requested the Chief District Officer (CDO) to reissue my citizenship certificate, he demanded the proof of my identity. But I have no proof of my identity other than the testimony of villagers," he added.Tamang was of the opinion that villagers' testimony should be proof enough, especially in times of such crisis. Like him, many quake victims have complained that the DAO's procedure is lengthy and full of hassles.
Jeet Bahadur Magar of Khadka Bhanjyang-3 lost his mother, wife, and granddaughter in the quake. Like many, he too has been unable to cremate the bodies of his deceased relatives as he has no money. "The VDC has provided me with their death certificates and also issued me a relationship verification letter. I've also submitted police report to the DAO," he said, adding he will be able to perform their cremation only after obtaining cash relief from the DAO.
Although some of the villagers have managed to cremate their dead relatives, they have not been able to perform after-death rituals as per the Hindu tradition. Lack of money for food and other expenses have kept them from performing the last rites of their deceased relatives, they complained.
Similar is the plight of Sujan BK of Gaukharka-7. He had gone outside his village to attend a wedding. "My father was sleeping inside while my mother was working in the kitchen garden. When the quake struck, she rushed inside to save him," he recalled. "But both of them died when the house collapsed."
BK cremated his parents by borrowing money. He said he would apply for cash relief at the DAO after he gets a duplicate copy of his citizenship certificate so that he can repay the loan. Like others, he has been making numerous visits to the DAO, but to no avail.
"We hardly find VDC secretary in the village. He is not even in the district headquarters. Quake victims like us are facing unnecessary hassles," he added.
It took three days for Sujita Tamang, another local of Gaukharka, to establish contact with her VDC secretary. After collecting available documents and recommendations from the VDC, she travelled to the headquarters to meet the CDO. However, she said the DAO citing insufficient documents turned down her request for cash relief. "We are clueless about written procedures. The procedures are lengthy and full of hassles," she said.
Although it took Sujita seven days to complete the necessary procedures, she was handed a check worth the amount. "I've never handled banking transactions before. I was told to open a bank account, which I found difficult. It would have been easier had VDC secretaries been allowed to distribute cash relief in the village itself," she opined
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