Darchula, October 18
Women whose husbands have already died have been receiving a regular social security allowance from the government across Nepal for the past few decades.
However, a rural municipality in Darchula has decided to let men without wives also receive this benefit. Api Himal rural municipality in the far-western district of Nepal decided to give Rs 500 to each of the men without wives in the village.
The local government chief Dharmananda Manyal says widowers also face similar problems as widows, hence the rural municipality decided to give both groups a regular allowance.
Currently, 28 men in the rural municipality are receiving the allowance, according to him.
Widowers have also expressed their happiness over the government decision. “It has been easy for us to buy daily essentials such as soaps, salt and oil. I wish the amount would increase further,” Karbir Singh Thekare of Api Himala-4 says.
