Forgot your password?
Senior Citizens Sit In At Department of Transport Management
By KTM Metro Reporter
July 24, 2013: after Finance Minister Shankar Prasad Koirala failed to address their demands for increasing the monthly allowance to the senior citizens from Rs 500 to Rs 3,000, and other benefits, senior citizens have intensified their sit in at the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) in Kathmandu.
The protesting senior citizens said that though the government made promises to address their demands, the finance minister made no provision in the budget for meeting their demands.
Chairman of Senior Citizen Joint Struggle Committee Maha Prasad Parajuli said, “During the months-long protest many politicians and stakeholders had visited us but none of them had done anything for us.” Chairman Parajuli said that the daily expenses of the sit-in protest has incurred more than Rs.1, 000 including the rent of tent, furniture, sound system, drinking water, transportation cost and other expenses. Now, it’s hard for them to arrange the money needed for the protest, according to the news posted on ‘gorkhapatraonline.com.’
“Today’s youth is tomorrow’s senior citizens; therefore our protest is not only for us but for those people who have been living currently a life of youth”, said Chairman Parajuli. The committee appealed to all for the financial support for the protest, he said.
As they have been protesting for the past five months, many elderly people have fallen sick. They have been asking for the support from the generous and willing persons. The senior citizens have been carrying out the sit-in program since March 7 by forming a Senior Citizen Joint Struggle Committee.
The senior citizens have urged the government to enforce the 50 per cent discounts on transport fares as mentioned in the Senior Citizen Act 2006. They also have demanded the State to increase the senior citizen allowances from the current Rs. 500to Rs 3,000. Similarly, they have demanded a separate ward for the senior people at all hospitals, free treatment in the government hospitals and 50 per cent discount at the private hospitals. They have also demanded 50 per cent discount on electricity, telephone, drinking water bill and house tax and discount on cooking oil, LPG gas and others, according to the news posted on ‘gorkhaptraonline.com’.
