GERMAN ASSISTANCE Kathmandu,22 June: Germany usto provide a grant assistance of Rs. 1.75 billion (Euro 14 million) for the implementation of the project 'Promotion of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies Programme' An agreement was signed Friday between the representatives o the two governments on the assistance. The project to be implemented under partnership of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology Money will be used to install solar PV systems including solar water pumps in rural areas and extension of power transmission infrastructure in Trishuli Corridor. Nnnn DIRECTIVE TO ISSUE SENIOR CITIZENSHIP REGULATION Kathmandu, 22 June: Almost seven years after the government introduced Senior Citizen Act and five years after the introduction of Senior Citizens Regulations, Women, Children and Social Welfare Ministry has issued directives to implement them and ensure that old age homes are operated meeting certain standards, Pragyan Lamsal writes in the Rising Nepal.. According to the directives, one needs permission of the District Women Development Officer to run old age homes in the district. The directive has been drafted to implement senior citizen’s act 2006 and senior citizen’s regulation 2008, said Dinesh Hari Adhikari, secretary at the Ministry, organized here. Adhikari said that the directives have been drafted in order to help the senior citizens to live dignified life and set minimum standard for the operation of the old age homes. With the increasing life spans, the population of the old people has been increasing rapidly around the globe in the recent years and Nepal has not been exception. According to Bureau of Statistics, people aged over 60 have a share of 9 per cent in Nepal's population. However, except operation of a limited old age homes in the initiatives of the generous people and a provision of monthly social allowance of mere Rs. 500, no facility is in place for these old people of Nepal. Though the government introduced the Senior Citizens Act in 2006, it has not been implemented yet. A large number of old people have been frequently staging sit-ins at the Department of the Transportation in Koteshwoer demanding implementation of a provision to provide 50 per cent discount to the senior citizens while commuting by the public vehicles. Adhikari said that timely amendment in the existing regulation, act and action plan formulated for senior citizens was significant at a time when the population of senior citizen was on the rapid rise. The amendment of present act and regulation on senior citizen would be right-oriented not only welfare-oriented, he said. He assured that the Ministry has given priority to look into possibilities that the state can deliver good for senior citizens. Country representative for International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse Manohar Uprety said that the directives have highlighted that an old age home should have an easy access to fire engine, ambulances, water, electricity and lie close to religious/spiritual places. According to the directives, the old age home should have a room with minimum area of 100 square feet for each individual and minimum 150 square feet for couple. “The old age home should have an elevator if its building has more than three stories, and the open area of the plot has to be at least twice bigger than the area occupied by the building,” said Uprety. He informed that the proposed amendment of Senior Citizen Act 2006 stressed the need of transferring the property of the senior citizens to the organizations taking their care. Stating that within ten years the global population of old people will reach one billion and by 2050 it will double, Help Age International country director Sangita Niroula informed that old people shared 9 percent of the total population in Nepal Nnnn 671 FAMILIES DISPLACED IN FAR-WEST Six hundred and seventy one families of six districts of Far-Western region have been completely displaced by the recent floods and landslides. The families are displaced by the floods and landslides triggered by incessant rainfall on June 17 and 18. According to Office of the Nepal Red Cross Society, Regional Coordination Committee, Mahendranagar, 489 families of the six districts have to bear partial losses from the floods and landslides. The landslides killed five members of the same family in Baitadi district and two persons of Kanchanpur have gone missing in Mahakali river and one is missing in Darchula. Similarly, one person has gone missing in landslide in Baitadi. Chief of the office of the Committee, Laxman Bhatta, said that the floods in Mahakali river have completely displaced 350 families in Darchula and 113 families are at high-risk of floods. The floods have directly affected more than 700 families. The floods have completely displaced 95 families of 12 VDCs, 182 families suffered partial losses and 2,858 families were directly affected in Kailali. The floods in Mahakali river also completely displaced 30 families and made partial damage on 21 houses in Dadeldhura district. The floods affected 50 families. Likewise, seven families have been completely displaced by landslides in Bajhang district, said Bhatta. The landslides have affected 48 families in the district. The landslides have displaced a family and 100 families are at high-risk of landslides in Baitadi. nnnn