Targeting festivals: social security allowance distributed ward by ward

Two rural municipalities in the eastern hills, targeting Dashain, have distributed social security allowance to beneficiaries right in their wards and neighborhoods.

Hilihang Rural Municipality in Panchthar said it gave about 12,000 rupees per person for three months to around 2,200 beneficiaries. Chairman Samar Bahadur Adhikari said the distribution, which began in Ward No. 1 on Asoj 21, was completed in all wards within seven days. Bank staff, elected representatives and security personnel were deployed at the ward offices. The method was adopted to spare senior citizens and persons with disabilities, who find it difficult to travel, the time and expense of reaching the market.

Sakela Rural Municipality in Khotang ran payment camps at the ward level from Asoj 22 in coordination with Nepal SBI Bank's Sakela branch. Social Security Section chief D.M. Chamling Rai said about 795 beneficiaries received their allowance in their own neighborhoods through the camps.

The rural municipality distributed a total of about 9,577,000 rupees through the banking system, of which roughly 70 percent of beneficiaries received their allowance from their own ward. The largest amount, about 3,890,000 rupees, was distributed in Ward No. 1, Banjhechyandanda. Beneficiaries who could not reach the camps are collecting their payments directly at the bank branch. Chairman Rabi Prakash Rai said the camps were run to end the situation where citizens had to go searching for the government at offices.