People's representatives of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality have been walking for two days to deliver social security allowances to locals in the settlements of Ghunsa and Phale, 3,100 meters above sea level.
What you should know
Dabasangmu Sherpa of Lelep Ghunsa, Faktanglung Rural Municipality-6, received Rs 24,000 as social security allowance last Tuesday. She received the allowance in cash at the rate of Rs 4,000 per month since last April from the hands of Rural Municipality Chairman Rajan Limbu, Ward Chairman Pembatansi Sherpa and Executive Committee member Mingmadandu Sherpa.
People's representatives spent two days going from Tapethok and Lelep to give her the social security allowance.
Earlier, in April, Ward Chairman Sherpa had given her the amount up to Chait. He reached the village and handed over the amount for six months, from April to Asar of the last fiscal year and from Shrawan to Asoj of this year. This time, District Police Chief Bedraj Gautam, who was on a base camp hike in Pangpe of the Kanchenjunga Himal, also witnessed the distribution of the allowance.
There are two people in Daba Sangmu's family who receive social security allowance. Daba Sangmu is a senior citizen and his daughter is receiving disability allowance. Ward Chairman Cheten Sherpa Lama gave 49,000 rupees of social security allowance to 96-year-old Sumjok Sherpa of Yangma, Phaktanglung-7, in the village.
He has given the 48,000 rupees he will receive per year and the interest deposited in the bank. Yangma, which is a three-day walk from the rural municipality center, Tapethok, and a day's walk from the ward office, Olangchungola, is home to 11 families. He is the only one in the village who receives social security allowance in this settlement at an altitude of 4,200 meters.
The municipal chairman, vice-chairman, ward chairman, and other people's representatives are careful that senior citizens will cry if they do not receive their allowance during festivals like Dashain-Tihar. During festivals, people who receive allowances and their families also keep pestering banks and local people's representatives. Most of them use the same allowance money to buy medicines and celebrate festivals.
Since the elderly complain a lot about not receiving their allowance on the eve of festivals, people's representatives coordinate with the banks and reach the wards in advance and distribute the allowances. However, the plight of beneficiaries in remote and mountainous areas like Ghunsa, Phale, Gyabla, Yangma, Olangchungola, Tokpegola is different.
While others receive their allowance quarterly, they only receive it after 6 months to a year. For that, Dandu Sherpa of Ghunsa says that they have to wait for the day when the leaders (people's representatives) come to the village. Dandu said that they are happy with the service provided by the people's representatives, even though it is slow.
According to Pembatansi, ward chairman of Lelep, two methods have been adopted to provide them with social security allowance. All beneficiaries have bank accounts. The allowance amount is deposited in the account quarterly. Those who can reach the bank can withdraw it immediately. Since that is not possible, they have to sign their checks. Those who cannot write should have their lapaches applied. The ward chairman should be allowed to withdraw his money.
The ward writes a request letter to the bank to give the money to those who have signed the check and put the slip. Based on that, the bank gives the money. Then the people's representatives go door to door once in six months and distribute the allowance.
'First of all, we had made such a commitment during the election,' said Ward Chairman Pembatansi, 'Another thing is that most of the people who have been born are disabled and cannot walk. The allowance money is not enough to carry them to the bank. That is why we have agreed to bring them in six months.'
The ward chairman said that he goes to the bank only after the time of his departure is fixed. Cheten Sherpa Lama of Phaktanglung-7 said, 'If someone needs money, I will lend it myself.' I will also create an environment for lending money in the neighborhood. I have been taking the responsibility of returning the money to the lenders so that the allowance money will come and I have been working hard.'
The people receiving social security and their families have already given the ward chairmen of these two wards a signed check, says the rural municipality chairman Limbu.
'Because it is geographically remote, there are places where it is not possible to reach another settlement in a day,' said the rural municipality chairman Limbu, 'The elderly are one or two people at home. They cannot even come to the bank. They do not know where to go or how to go. To make it easier for them, we have made a decision from the executive and coordinated with the bank to deliver the allowance to their homes throughout the municipality.'
Service recipients, except those from high Himalayan regions, receive the allowance quarterly or, if it is delayed, for up to five months, says the chairman Limbu. According to ward chairmen, there are about 200 social security allowance recipients in Ward 6, Lelep, and about 50 in Ward 7, Olangchungola. About 50 percent of the service recipients in Ward 6 are outside the village and withdraw their own funds as they have access to banks. Ward chairmen say that the rest should be coordinated by the ward.
