Pokhara

Senior citizens in Dang have voiced their concern for inconvenience to get state-sponsored facilities in health and transport sectors.

The elderly people made the remarks at an interaction organized by Community Police Service Centre in Tulsipur on Tuesday. On the occasion, Sumitra Bhandari, 76, of Tulsipur sub-metropolis said, “I had visited Rapti State Hospital, Tulsipur for treatment where I had to stand in queue for long. As provisioned, neither I got medicines free nor any discount”.

Likewise, Nawaraj Lamichhane, 70, of Tulsipur municipality complained that he was misbehaved by a vehicle conductor while showing government-granted senior citizen card. “Last week I was travelling to Ghorahi from Tulsipur. I did not get any discount rather I was ill-treated and forced to get off the bus for not providing full fare”.

Not only Bhandari and Lamichhane, most of the senior citizens attending the interaction raised their voice for not having easy access to state-sponsored discount in transport and health sectors. They have demanded effective enforcement of services provided by the state.

Khumananda Adhikari, Chair, Senior Citizen Society Tulsipur shared the provisions of 50 percent discount to senior citizens on transport, free health check-up services in public hospital, free medicines and separate line for elderly citizens in hospitals have not been translated in practice.