Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Bishnu Paudel, affirmed the government’s awareness and sensitivity towards the issues faced by senior citizens. Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony for the Senior Citizens Union Centre at Tilottama Municipality-4 in Rupandehi, Paudel highlighted the government’s historical efforts, noting that the social security allowance for senior citizens was first introduced in 2052 BS under the leadership of the late Manmohan Adhikari.

Minister Paudel shared that the allowance, which began at Rs 100, has now been increased to Rs 4,000 during his tenure under the guidance of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. However, he acknowledged that while the government has taken initiatives, more needs to be done, and efforts are underway to address the situation further.

Lawmaker Basudev Ghimire praised the community-driven efforts to establish the facility, despite it being initially planned at the province level. Tilottama Municipality Mayor Ramkrishna Khand also expressed his commitment to support the project from the local government side.

The Senior Citizens Union Centre, which will offer daycare services to 500 senior citizens at a time, will be a five-story building equipped with modern amenities, according to Centre Chair Rhishi Bhandari.