Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 21:

Minister for Local Development Khadga Bahadur GC today said the government is seriously doing homework on devising policy to include Dalits, women, indigenous nationalities and downtrodden communities into the mainstream. Addressing the inaugural session of a workshop on “Gender and Social Exclusion Assessment”, organised by National Foundation for the Development of Indigenous Nationalities (NFDIN), Minister GC said the task of bringing deprived communities into the mainstream has not been achieved despite various attempts. He said government is going to set up a separate desk for Dalits and indigenous nationalities at the DDC level to cater and monitor programmes meant for them. “It’s need of time to make indigenous nationalities capable of competing with the world,” said Dolakh Bahadur Gurung, secretary at the ministry. He said the NFDIN should be developed into a centre of excellence to contribute to the development of indigenous nationalities. Gurung said assessment of gender and social exclusion would prove useful in formulating right programmes.