The government has started distributing housing reconstruction aid to those who lost their houses in earthquakes last year.

But for the senior citizens in Ramechhap district, collecting the fund has become a difficult task, as they have to reach the district headquarters to receive the money and rural areas here in the district lack proper road networks.

Maiti Thapa Magar, 83, who came to Manthali, the district headquarters, to collect Rs 50,000, the first tranche of the Rs 200,000 housing reconstruction aid, has fallen ill. She had to walk for two days from Tokarpur-7 to reach Manthali.

“We have been forced to walk after several rural road networks were obstructed due to rains,” said Tek Bahadur Magar of Nigre, .

Waiting in line for hours to receive the grant is also what the senior citizens say is a cumbersome.

Seventy-year-old Sita Khatri of Bhirpani said there were rumors that people might not get the aid if they did not withdraw it on time. Madhu Pokharel, chief of District Treasury Controller Office, however, said that the beneficiaries can withdraw money at their convenience after filling bank forms and that there was no need to rush.

According to the District Development Committee, it has already deposited the first instalment of housing reconstruction aid in the bank accounts of 38,495 quake victims in the district.