National
Dalits, single women to get pay earlier too
The day the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government made a controversial decision to lower the age bar for elderly allowance, the caretaker government also brought down the minimum age of Dalits and single women to claim the social security allowance, it has come to light.The day the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government made a controversial decision to lower the age bar for elderly allowance, the caretaker government also brought down the minimum age of Dalits and single women to claim the social security allowance, it has come to light.
According to Commerce Minister Meen Bahadur Bishwakarma, the Cabinet on Wednesday reduced the age bar by five years for Dalits and single women to qualify for the social security allowance. With this change, anyone in the category who is 55 will be entitled to a monthly allowance of Rs2,000.
This revision will cost the state coffers billions of rupees annually. The populist decision of the outgoing government has received widespread criticism from all quarters with the left parties accusing the NC-led government of making systematic efforts to wreck national economy. (PR)