RAUTAHAT, AUGUST 9There are allegations of misuse of the government's COVID relief fund in Rautahat's Durga Bhagawati Rural Municipality. KMC to conduct exam for scholarship stipend on August 5 Local reps urged to serve people Locals have accused local representatives and staff of depositing the relief meant for COVID-affected poor households in Matsari of Ward No 3 of Durga Bhagawati in the accounts of dead persons and non-citizens by sidestepping the standard criteria.The standard criteria of the government disqualifies families whose members are employed in any private, government or any organisations at home or abroad or are already receiving government allowances in any form, to get the relief. But, apparently, these criteria have been flouted to oblige people other than those eligible.Faudi Sah, who lost his wife to COVID-19 and has been living a hard life ever since, has rued how he kept waiting for relief while those who weren't as affected and fared better during the COVID period managed to pocket the relief much to the dismay of genuine victims."What sort of justice is this?" he asked.Local Krishnamani Badshah expressed surprise at how those who spent long time in quarantine and whose family members died of COVID were excluded from the government relief.Relief was deposited in the bank accounts of some 83 persons, most of them were not affected to qualify for the relief.When asked, secretary of the ward Umesh Chaudhary said he was not involved in preparing the list of beneficiaries.A version of this article appears in the print on August 10, 2023, of The Himalayan Times. .

This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com