KATHMANDU, August 18: Sita Sada of Golbazaar Municipality-10 tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time in April. Her family members were infected as well. They were forced to take loans for their treatment. So far, Sada and her family have not received any relief from the government. 

Sada and her two other family members work as laborers to support themselves. They had no other alternative but to take loans in order to support themselves during the first round of lockdown imposed to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. Before they could even pay their loans, the second wave of the pandemic struck the country. 

Although they were not infected during the first wave of the virus, Sita and her family members tested positive for the deadly infection during the second wave. They had to take a loan of Rs 25,000 in order to be able to afford the medicines and the treatment. The local and the provincial governments have not focused on the problems of the poor and needy people like Sada.

However, the provincial government has not lagged behind in covering the medical expenses of the provincial lawmakers and wealthy people. Earlier, the provincial government had provided Rs 500,000 as treatment expenses to Ram Kumar Yadav, a provincial assembly member and resident of Golbazaar Municipality on June 17. 

Similarly, the provincial government had provided Rs 450,000 to provincial lawmaker Shiva Chandra Chaudhary, Rs 200,000 to lawmaker Ashok Yadav, Rs 150,000 to lawmaker Bhima Yadav, Rs 100,000 to Karima Begum, Rs 12,250 to Jagatarain Devi Sundi for their treatment expenses. 

Sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the Directive Relating to Financial Assistance 2076, says, “The provincial government is liable to provide financial assistance to helpless, destitute, differently-abled and critically ill people for their livelihoods or treatment expenses.”

The law has even fixed the amount of such financial assistance to be received by the poor, needy and helpless. According to the law, the provincial government can provide Rs 25,000 to Rs 100,000 per person to anyone who is in need of help. It is stated in the directive that a poor person in need can receive Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000, a differently-abled person Rs 50,000 to Rs 200,000 and a critically ill person upto Rs 300,000. 

“It is ironic that poor people are deprived of any financial assistance while the politicians and the rich are provided with treatment expenses,” Sita Sada said.

 
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