DHORTPATAN, NOVEMBER 4

Whenever elections are round the corner, candidates campaign to woo voters in Majhi settlement.

Now too, the candidates and leaders of different political parties are reaching to the marginalised people's settlements in Baglung Municipality-1 with several assurances when the federal and provincial parliamentary elections are near.

Candidates have distributed assurance for employment to the underrepresented community people who are facing tough time to eke out their daily livelihood.

The Majhi families who were rendered homeless while constructing the Baglung-Pokhara Highway in 1992 had been sheltering in makeshift tents at Bangechaur for a decade.

Merely four years ago, the government had constructed settlement nearby Niyarghat and handed to the indigent families. Most of them got land ownership certificates and house. Still more families have not got the land ownership certificates. Assurances are given to the Majhi community for basic amenities including road, drinking water and employment in every election. However, these assurances are never fulfilled.

'Leaders turn up to our houses almost every day with assurances during election.

But they never come back to our settlement and address our problems,' said Som Bahadur Majhi, a local.

Majhi voiced his complaint that the candidates had not been able to keep their promises. 'Years have passed since the leaders made the promises to manage drinking water and construct roads, but they have done nothing to fulfil their promises' he said.

It may be noted that the government had constructed 13 houses targeting the displaced Majhi families four years ago. They got houses but without basic facilities such as health, education and drinking water.

Chandrakala Majhi, a local, said, 'The government had constructed houses, but house alone does not guarantee survival. The government should provide employment opportunities to displaced Majhi people.'

A version of this article appears in the print on November 5, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.