KATHMANDU, JUL 18 - Senior citizens staged a sit-in protest in the Capital on Friday, protesting the government decision to raise only Rs 500 in their monthly allowance.

The Senior Citizens Struggle Committee (SCSC) for the last three years had been pressing the government to raise their monthly allowance to at least Rs 5,000.

In his budget speech early this week, Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat had said that thesenior citizens would receive Rs 500 more in their existing monthly allowance as medical fee.

After hearing the budget speech, the SCSC concluded that the government ignored their demand.

“The amount is but a peanut compared to the funds that lawmakers draw for rent and snacks alone,” said Maha Prasad Parajuli, president of SCSC.

The SCSC has been organising a sit-in-protest every morning in Minbhawan with their demands of increment in security allowance, free medical treatment and 50 percent discount in transportation fare.

The Friday’s protest witnessed the largest gathering of senior citizens till date.

The demonstrators also called on the government to reduce the age limit for senior citizens to enjoy the state-offered security allowance from 70 years to 60 years.

 “The life expectancy of the people in our country is 65 years but as per the government rule we have to be 70 years in order to enjoy the security allowance. How fair is the provision?” questioned Tilak Kumari Timalsina, 65, a member of the committee.

The other demands of the SCSC are that elderly citizens be provided free medical treatment in all hospitals in Capital and 50 percent discount in public transportation.

The Senior Citizens Act 2006 stipulates that every public vehicle reserve two seats for people over the age of 60 and grant them 50 percent concession in fare.

In April 2011, the Supreme Court had instructed the government to ensure the implementation of the Act.   

However, there seems to be a misunderstanding among the senior citizens if the discount in the transport fare stands even if two seats are reserved for the elderlies. The government and the rest of the transport committees believe that both the reservation clause and fare discount apply to only two senior citizens .