People have started to register their marriages and birth of their children after the government announced Poshan Bhatta (nutrition allowance) to the children below five years of age in Bajhang district. 

Rebatiraman Joshi, secretary of Matela VDC, said at least 20 people have been acquiring marriage and birth registration certificates from the VDC office daily. “In the past, people used to take birth registration only when their children had reached eighth grade,” said Joshi. 

The government has announced nutrition allowance programme for all the children in Bajhang, Achham and Rautahat districts. In the past, only Dalit children were provided the monthly nutrition allowance of Rs 400. 

Kabita Thapa of Jayprithvi Municipality said she visited the municipality office to register the birth of her son after learning about the allowance programme. 

“Before the nutrition allowance programme was announced, I thought that there was no use for a birth registration certificate,” she said. 

Jayprithvi Municipality had registered 845 births in the last fiscal year. With the announcement of nutrition allowance programme, the municipality was able to register more than 2,000 births in the first six months of the running fiscal year, said Purna Bahadur Khadka, information officer of the municipal office.

The number of people obtaining citizenship documents has also increased as one cannot register her child’s birth without citizenship. Assistant Chief District Officer Sandesh Joshi said the District Administration Office is open till 6:30 pm these days to provide service to the people applying for citizenships.