Nepal’s Kaligandaki Municipality Offers Monthly Allowance to Families with Three Children

Syangja’s Kaligandaki Municipality has been implementing a program to provide financial assistance to families with three children, in an effort to discourage the declining population trend.

Under the ‘Financial Assistance to Families with Three Children’ program, 17 families have benefited in the current fiscal year. The municipality provides a monthly allowance of Rs 4,000 to families with three children for two years, in accordance with the guidelines.

The program aims to promote a positive attitude towards having children, balance the declining birth rate, and make the local government more effective in providing nutrition-friendly services.

Eligibility Criteria

According to the municipality’s information officer and administrative officer, Tikakumari Kshetri, the program is based on the ‘Guidelines for Providing Financial Assistance to Families with Three Children-2082’. To be eligible, the third child must have been born after Shrawan 2082, the family must be a permanent resident of the municipality, and they must submit the required documents.

Kshetri stated that the program’s objective is not only to provide financial assistance but also to draw the community’s attention to the declining birth rate and provide relief to families.

Initiative to Address Declining Birth Rate

The municipality’s acting chairperson, Savitri Koiral, said that the program was introduced considering the local needs and future demographic situation, as the birth rate has been declining in recent years.

Koiral explained that the previous campaign promoted having two children as an ideal, but now the challenge of declining birth rates is being seen in many places. Therefore, the policy was introduced to encourage families.

To apply for the allowance, families must submit their parents’ citizenship, birth certificates of all three children, marriage certificate, and residence certificate if required.

According to the municipality’s health branch chief, Ek Bahadur Thapa, 17 families were selected from among those who applied, meeting the guidelines’ criteria. The third child must have been born in a health institution recognized by the Government of Nepal.

The local government’s initiative to balance the population, promote maternal and child health, and encourage families is seen as a unique practice in Syangja district.