KATHMANDU, JULY 18 The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has issued a circular to all local levels, directing them to submit their suggestions and opinions on the preliminary draft of Social Inclusion Policy-2020, it had recently issued. Last month, the draft policy was provided to local governments for their opinions. “As most of the local levels failed to submit their suggestions and opinions, we issued a circular to them for submission as soon as possible,” said Bandana Karna, a section officer MoFAGA. The draft policy will be given final shape by incorporating suggestions and opinions of the local levels. The policy aims to institutionalise inclusive governance systems in all government levels, areas and structures through mainstreaming of community involvement and participation. The policy has tried to justify the need to internalise inclusion in policies, laws, structures, programmes and projects of the state and ensures consistency and harmonisation in inclusion-related policy in the federal, provincial and local levels. It also envisages fulfilling the commitments made by Nepal at the national and international levels and establishing social justice through equitable distribution of benefits derived from democracy. The vision of the policy is to build an equitable and prosperous society through empowerment of deprived and excluded groups. The policy has devised four strategies to institutionalise the concept of social inclusion in all levels. The strategies include formulation and revision of necessary laws and procedures, preparation of short-term and long-term plans and programmes, establishment of necessary structures in all organs of the state, and coordination and collaboration with development partners, cooperatives, non-governmental organisations and the private sector. Special programmes will be conducted by targeting the deprived and excluded groups to ensure that every citizen enjoys national prosperity without discrimination. The government will provide skill development training scholarship, subsidised loan and employment quota to excluded and disadvantaged groups, endangered ethnic groups, women, Dalits, indigenous nationalities, Madhesis, Muslims and minority groups, it reads. A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 19, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.