Even after 17 years since the declaration of Haliya freedom, the residents of the Dalit settlement in Bheta, Ganyapadhura Rural Municipality-1, Dadeldhura, are still living in 'confessional', forest-dwelling temporary housing.

This settlement is deprived of services provided by the state due to the exemption from obtaining identity cards for freed Haliyas. The declaration of freed Haliyas did not change their lives, but instead, the 14 Dalit families in this settlement have been trapped in a cycle of state neglect and election promises.

The locals are only getting assurances that the problem will be addressed during elections. Locals complain that they are not getting the services they need from the state as the data collected from here after the government declared freed Haliyas has disappeared.

This settlement, which is located within the home district of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, lacks even basic services like drinking water, health and education. Locals say that the state's presence is limited to paper. According to local Sugam BK, this settlement is far from development infrastructure.  Schools and health posts are an hour's walk away. ‘There is a problem with drinking water, it is difficult to reach the health post when you are sick,’ he said, ‘We were declared free but we do not even have an identity card, we are raising our family by working as daily wage laborers.’

According to him, in past elections, leaders promised to give land and provide legal documents, but they did not return after winning. ‘Even the rural municipality chairman did not return after the election,’ he said.

Another local of the settlement, Belu Damai, says, ‘We do not have registered land. We are living on unregistered land. We do not have any land in our name.’ According to her, the leaders who go door to door to seek votes stop even recognizing them after winning. ‘When seeking votes, they say they will do this and that, but they do not come back,’ she said.

Landslides have also caused problems in this settlement. Local Basanti Damai said that she lost her mother-in-law in a landslide in 2066 BS. ‘The landslide swept away all our houses, land, and livestock,’ she said. ‘After becoming homeless, we moved into our neighbors’ houses. We were able to find shelter, but it was difficult to make ends meet.’ She said that 14 families were displaced at that time and now have to settle in the forest area with the help of the community. ‘They tricked us when we came to ask for votes, and did not return after winning,’ she complained.

According to Damai, some Dalit communities in other places have received money to build houses after the Haliya Mukti.’ But in the Betta settlement, even after the Haliya Mukti, no arrangements have been made. ‘We are the real victims here,’ she said. ‘This time, we will vote only for candidates who understand our problems and solve them.’

Bahadur Damai, who won the ward member position from the same settlement, has also admitted that the problem is serious. Elected as a ward member in the 2079 BS local level elections, he says, ‘It was not possible to solve such a big problem from the ward level.’ According to him, data on Haliya-exempt families was collected in 2066 BS, but it was not heard. ‘The data on Haliya-exempt families in Ward 1 has been lost,’ he said.

According to ward member Damai, residents are always terrified of the risk of large pine trees falling on their roofs around the settlement in the middle of the Bhetagaun forest. ‘The landslide of 2066 BS destroyed the settlement, swept away homes, farms, cattle and goats, and even killed one person,’ he said. ‘Even now, most families are earning a living by working as wage laborers.’