Party leaders in the district blamed the government for the discrepancy, saying that guidelines for distributing identity cards are ambiguous. They said the haphazard distribution of identity cards has also put innocent people at the risk of being punished. The government has already announced that people who receive government aid providing misleading information will be booked.

As the identity cards and relief distribution process continue, authorities are yet to address issues such as families which have separated but are living in the same house, people having multiple houses and those who are rendered homeless.

Local leaders said they have questioned the District Disaster Relief Committee on the matter. Citizen Forum Coordinator Dhruva Prasad Subedi said they have cases of people who own houses in Kathmandu but have received identity cards have been forwarded to the municipality for legal action.

Manthali-2 Ward Secretary Tej Bahadur Khadka admitted that such problems were seen during identity cards distribution in his area. “We are in the process of confiscating identity cards from such people,” he said.

Authorities distributed identity cards based on citizenship certificates in some VDCs while in other areas even land ownership documents were sought.

Party leaders in the district said the problems continue though they requested President Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Physical Planning Minister Bimalendra Nidhi, Industry Minister Mahesh Basnet, UCPN (M) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba to address the discrepancy.

Ramechhap UML Chairman Shanti Prasad Poudel said the government has not even decided what quantity of relief materials such as rice and cereals should be

distributed to the earthquake survivors.