PAF identifies 25 districts in first phase

Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) has identified 25 districts for the first phase of distribution of identity cards for poor households on the basis of the number of poor household, Small Area Estimation prepared by Central Bureau of Statistics, (CBS) and some 12 analysis of the third Nepal Living Standards Survey (NLSS III).

"The first board meeting of the coordination committee that took place on September 6, selected the districts with the maximum number of poor households to distribute the poverty identification cards in the first phase," said PAF vice chair Janak Raj Sharma.

The first phase, that will start from September 17, is expected to be completed in two months, he said, adding that the remaining districts will be targetted in the second and third phases, respectively.

According to PAF, the identity cards will be distributed in three phases with 25 districts in each phase. “Each phase will last for two months,” he said. There will be three colour identity cards — for those who do not have enough to eat for three months, six months and nine months — and the government will provide subsidies and relief packages accordingly.

The Centralised Household Information System will look after the whole process of the card distribution after the testing of Proxy Means scoring before identifying the poor households, though the district coordination committee led by District Development Committee — that will also include local development officers and assistant chief district officers besides chiefs of various government agencies in the district — will distribute the cards, informed executive director of PAF Rajbabu Shrestha.

"The database of the poor households will be kept at the district level committee and the committee will also listen to the grievances of the public," he added.

The Village Development Committee will collect the data of poor households and publish it, he explained, adding that it will also take note of the grievances at the Village Development Committee level, and report it to the district level grievances hearing committee.

The current three-year Interim Plan has envisioned the identification of poor households and distribution of poverty cards, and has also been featured in prime minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai's immediate austerity measures and prosperity plan, which he announced six months ago.