The government on Wednesday decided to lower the age ceiling for the social security allowance, bringing it down from 70 to 65 years.

Minister for Irrigation Sanjay Gautam said that since there is increase in average life expectancy of Nepali citizens, the government reviewed the age ceiling and fixed the new one. 

Nepali citizens who have completed 65 years are entitled to the old age benefits. 

At present, senior citizens above 70 years are entitled to receive Rs 2,000 in monthly social security allowance. According to the census 2011, there are around 2.1 million people aged 60 or above in the country. 

The decision will put an additional burden on the state coffers as the government is already spending over Rs 40 billion on various kinds of social security to the citizens. 

Apart from allowances to senior citizens, Dalits and locals of Karnali region who are above 60 and children below five are also entitled to state benefits. Similarly, single women/widows and people from the backward communities also get the allowance. In the recently held elections to the local bodies, federal parliament and provincial assemblies, the ruling Nepali Congress had promised to the voters that it would increase the social security allowances. 

The Cabinet also decided to doll out an additional Rs100,000 to the victims of earthquake and floods. “As the timeline to receive grant under both categories had ended this week, the government decided to provide additional Rs100,000 each to the affected families,” government Spokesperson Mohan Basnet said after the meeting. With this decision, quake-hit families, whose property was destroyed in the 2015 disaster, will each receive Rs400,000 in government aid for rebuilding homes. 

The meeting also appointed seven secretaries to be deputed in seven provinces at the office of chief minister, according to Gautam. As per the decision, Shankar Pathak has been transferred to the office of the chief secretary in Province 1; Rajeshwor Man Singh in Province 2; Reshmai Raj Pandey in Province 3, Laxman Aryal in Province 4; Maya Dev Koirala in Province 5, Suresh Pradhan in Province 6 and Laxmi Raj Poudel in Province 7. Stationed in respective provinces as head of administration, they will be coordinating with the federal government and local bodies, among other tasks.