Dhangadi, December 24

Kailali, often touted as the most accessible district in the entire far-west, has strangely enough not been able to progress much with time.

Life in Mohanyal village development committee, Kailali, some 70 km from the district headquarters Dhangadi continues to be hard, possibly even more so than residents of more remote districts of Bajura and Humla in every aspect.

Locals of Mohanyal VDC have to pay way more than the people in Humla and Bajura, be it for groceries or basic necessities.

A case in point, residents in Mohanyal are bound to pay up to 60 rupees for a kilogram of rice that folks in Bajura and Humla buy at the subsidised rate of just Rs 39 per kg. The reason stated repeatedly has been high transportation cost.

According to a local, transportation cost for a kilogram of rice stands at 25 rupees.

“Rice for Mohanyal comes from Chaumala. Despite the fact that Chaumala and Mohanyal are in the same district, it costs more than the actual price to transport the commodities to the village that has no road connectivity,” he lamented, adding that the village still has no access to electricity even to this day.

The VDC also lacks other basic infrastructure such as safe drinking water and sufficient teachers at the local school.

“It’s due to lack of proper roads that we face so many issues,” said former vice-chairperson of Mohanyal VDC Bhagirath Bhaat.

Khadka Bahadur Budha, two-time Mohanyal VDC chairperson, bemoaned the apathy of politicians including then Maoist rebels, towards the pressing need to develop the village.

Another local Chhabilal Haujali Magar dwelt on the poor scenario of education in the village.

“Although we have education and health stated as fundamental rights in the constitution it has meant little to us,” he said, adding that the entire VDC lacks a higher secondary school.

Former Nepali Congress president of Mohanyal Padam Deuba, on his part, dwelt on the loss local farmers have had to suffer due to lack of road. “There are more than 65 families in Dhamkot, Mohanyal, who have been cultivating oranges, but, as there is no road they have not been able to sell for profit,” he explained, also briefing about the lack of medicine and a police post.

CPN-MC Prakash Roka Magar conceded that the party has so far not been able to do much to contribute to the development of the VDC even after acceding to power.

Mohanyal has a total population of 4,681 and 60 per cent of them belong to indigenous nationalities.

As poverty and lack of education persist in the village, most of the youths head towards India to earn their livelihood.