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MPs of the Koshi State Assembly and local people's representatives have demanded that the Dalit Empowerment Bill be tabled immediately.
People's representatives made this demand in the interaction organized by the Provincial Assembly Secretariat and managed by Redef Nepal with the support of the Chief Minister and Cabinet Office.
The bill, which was started in 2077 for the empowerment of the Dalit community, is limited in concept after four years. The Ministry of Social Development had sent the draft to the Chief Minister's Office for in-principle approval a few months ago.
Maoist whip Sapna Pariyar urged to table the Dalit Empowerment Bill immediately and said that if the government does not do so, she will table it herself as a non-governmental bill. "Even after so much time, it is sad to see that the government is not interested in making a law for Dalits," she said. There is no need to mislead us.'
State Assembly member of RPP, Gopal Bahadur Gajmer, said that the government has not become serious even though voices have been raised repeatedly to advance the bill. "It is understood that the bill is still pending in the ministry," he said.
UML MP Meena Shrestha said that she will put pressure on her party's leadership and MPs to table the Dalit Empowerment Bill soon. "For the rights and interests of the Dalit community, it is necessary to table and pass this bill immediately," she said.
Congress MP Gayanand Mandal pledged to play a role from his party to submit the Dalit Bill immediately and pass it with a majority. He said that if the government delays in submitting the bill, the Dalits should protest and put pressure on them. "You should ask for your rights, not take them away," said Mandal, a senior member of the Provincial Assembly.
Itahari sub-metropolitan executive member Dinesh Rasaili, Birendra Darnal, Shobha Baraili, Rekha Vishwakarma, Leeladevi Das, Hiralal Pariyar and other people's representatives said that the Dalit Bill has been passed in other states and asked why there was a delay in Koshi state.
Speaker Ambar Bahadur Bista expressed his belief that the bill will be tabled and passed at the beginning of the upcoming annual session. He said, "We are coordinating with the Chief Minister and the Law Minister on this issue." Hopefully, the bill can be passed in the upcoming session.'
Deputy Speaker Srijana Danuwar said that coordination will be done with the parties to pass the bill soon.
The expert team formed in 2077 collected the suggestions of more than four hundred stakeholders from Panchthar, Khotang, Udaipur and Sunsari. During the collection of suggestions, subsequent interaction and discussion, the ministry said that more than 30 million budget has been spent. The bill is stalled.
Dalit community has 9.7 percent of the total population in Koshi. Dalit rights activists have commented that such indifference of the state government has not given the feeling of federalism. Umesh Bishwakarma, a rights activist, said, "Keeping the Dalit Bill on hold for five years is a serious injustice to Dalits."
