Dhading, March 1:

As many as 1500 Chepangs living as squatters in different villages of southern Dhading received Nepali citizenship certificates.

According to the Nepal Chepang Association (NCA), Dhading, some 1,495 Chepangs of the district have received citizenship certificates so far.

The number of Chepangs living in Jogimara, Dhusa, Benighat, Mahadevsthan, Kumpur, Pinda, Thakre, Goganpani and Naubise of southern Dhading has reached around 15,000. Around 40 per cent of the Chepangs in the district are still deprived of Nepali citizenship.

NCA central secretary Tilak Chepang said 1,495 Chepangs of Dhading; 1,100 of Makwanpur; 1000 of Chitwan and 500 of Gorkha were given citizenship certificates so far by the citizenship certificate distribution teams deployed in villages.

He said some 80 per cent of Chepangs are deprived of citizenship.