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Senior citizens in remote areas face significant difficulties in obtaining a national ID due to the long journey required to reach the district headquarters. Chimati Dhami, a 70-year-old from Malikarjun Rural Municipality-2, said, “Transportation is only available after a four to five-hour walk. It’s difficult to travel alone by bus, and the cost of a bus trip to Khalanga for two people is quite high.”

Gagan Singh Lothyal from Api Himal Rural Municipality-2 also expressed concerns, stating that it takes a whole day for senior citizens from Api Himal to reach Khalanga, and the one-way bus fare is 2,000 rupees. He added, “The elderly cannot travel alone; they need an additional guardian to help with their identity card. If any document is missing or mismatched, it creates further issues. Traveling on unpaved roads is especially challenging for the elderly.”

Mathura Kunwar, a 78-year-old from Duhu Rural Municipality-4, shared similar sentiments, “We cannot go to the headquarters in Khalanga to get the identity card. It is impossible to walk through such difficult terrain. Even if we don’t receive the allowance, it is not possible to reach Khalanga alone. We are sick with asthma.” He further complained, “You can’t even ride a bus on the unpaved roads. If half of the social security allowance is used to obtain an identity card, what’s the benefit of getting it?”

The Government of Nepal issued a public notice on July 8, announcing that the national identity card would be required for social security services starting July 16, 2024. However, on July 11, the decision was reversed, and the implementation has been postponed. Despite this, many senior citizens are still visiting the administration to obtain their identity cards.

According to Assistant Chief District Officer Hemanti Saud, 6,052 people have received national identity cards from the district so far, and 156 individuals have applied to correct details on their cards. He stated that 17,200 cards are in the office and are yet to be distributed. Due to the recent increase in the number of elderly people applying for national IDs, the district administration office has started distributing the identity cards at two locations.

Chief District Officer Yagya Raj Joshi mentioned that two people have been assigned the responsibility of handling the national identity card distribution, as it was not feasible for just one person to manage it. He also noted that if elderly people cannot travel to Khalanga, alternative arrangements can be made through coordination with local authorities. “We have asked all local levels to estimate the number of senior citizens who cannot travel to Khalanga. Once we have the exact numbers, identity cards can be distributed through camps,” he said.

Following the promulgation of the National Identity Card and Vital Registration Act on February 11, 2020, the government has implemented the ‘National Identity Card Management Strategic Plan 2018.’ The national identity card, now linked to the registration of personal events, has been introduced as the primary basis for citizens to access state-provided services and rights, replacing the certificate of Nepali citizenship.

The “National Identity Card” is a digital solution for verifying personal identity, with nationwide implementation by the government. Following the annual policy and program for the financial year 2009/2010, the government has introduced the biometric national identity card with a photo, which can be used by all Nepali citizens in elections and other official purposes. As the national identity card is now mandatory for voting and registering personal events, the government will consider it the primary basis for exercising civil and political rights.

Narendra Singh Karki