May 29: The government has increased the social security allowance for senior citizens by Rs 1,000 effective from Fiscal Year 2078/79. With this, the social security allowance for senior citizens who are above 70 years of age has reached Rs 4,000 per month. In FY 2076/77, former finance minister Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada had increased the senior citizen allowance to Rs 3,000. The increased allowance of senior citizens will come into effect from July 16, 2021. 

Presenting the budget for the upcoming fiscal year at Singha Durbar on Saturday, Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel announced that all types of social security allowances have been increased by 33 percent. He said that Rs 100 billion has been allocated for social security allowance. For the current fiscal year, Rs 67.50 billion was allocated for social security allowance.

Senior citizen, Dalits, single women, disabled, terminally ill person, people from indigenous community, people living below poverty line, children will be provided social security allowance.

Similarly, the government has announced free medical treatment for senior citizens.