Kailali's Dalit Community Demands Development Pledges from Candidates Ahead of Elections

Kanchanpur, 25 Magh: As the upcoming House of Representatives election draws nearer, election campaigning has intensified in Kanchanpur. Candidates, along with their supporters, are busy visiting villages and settlements to seek votes from the electorate.

Meanwhile, the Dalit community in Kaluvapur, Ward 11 of Shuklaphanta Municipality, has stated they will vote for the candidate who promises development for their settlement. The locals have put forward demands including the construction of a concrete bridge, a model Dalit settlement, employment opportunities within the country, boring for irrigation, street lights, and the distribution of land ownership certificates (Lalpurja). Leaders from the settlement stated they will vote for a trustworthy candidate who commits to fulfilling these demands.

"The demand to make the Dalit settlement a model settlement and for a concrete bridge over the local river is long-standing," said local Dharmabahadur Sarki, "Until now, those promises have not been fulfilled. We have faced problems crossing the river for years; we have received assurances for bridge construction many times, but no one has listened," he added.

According to locals, they are forced to walk for about an hour to reach the nearest health post for treatment as there is none in the settlement. "Even when we reach the health post, there is always a shortage of medicine," said Janjali Sarki, "Ultimately, we are forced to go to private medical facilities and pay exorbitant fees. Candidates who solve these problems will be our choice," she stated.

Locals also complained about the deplorable condition of the road leading to the settlement. They mentioned having to travel on dusty and muddy roads for years and stated that despite repeatedly requesting road upgrades from local to provincial levels, their pleas have gone unheard. "The demand for installing street lights is also old. The trend of only making assurances without implementation must end," Janjali added.

Locals say that the one boring installed near the settlement is insufficient for irrigation. "During the planting season, there is chaos for water," said Mandir Sarki, "The demand is to install another boring and arrange for easy irrigation."

Padam Sarki stated that due to a lack of employment opportunities in the village, most youths are forced to work as porters and watchmen in various cities in India. "The topic of establishing industries based on traditional skills in the village and creating employment by training youth is heard in every election," he said, "But nothing has happened in practice."

Land ownership issues are also a long-standing grievance among the locals. Those who have been waiting for years to receive their Lalpurja stated that although the survey work has progressed, there is no certainty about when they will receive the ownership certificates.

According to the elders of the Dalit community, this time the entire settlement has reached a consensus: "We will unanimously vote for the trustworthy candidate who fulfills the needs of the settlement." Sixty Dalit families reside in Kaluvapur alone, and Dalits constitute 180 families across the entire ward.

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