Lalitpur, June 30:

Former district health officer of Lalitpur, Dr Renu Rajbhandari, today said that Lalitpur district should be categorised as a “remote district” to develop the district in an equitable way.

“I have seen poverty and lack of resources in many southern villages of Lalitpur that one

cannot imagine even in the far-western districts. Special packages should be unveiled

in those villages to ensure basic needs,” she said at a workshop programme on inclusion of the country organised by the Martin Chautari.

“Rajbhandari said cases of malnutrition, illiteracy, women trafficking and uterus prolapses are rampant in some areas of the district and the situation of untouchability is worse than in Baglung,” she said.

She also said that during her visit to Gotikhel VDC, the locals were happy to welcome a

government officer after 22 years, claiming that some of the then government officers

buried vaccines instead of distributing them in the villages so as to return to their respective offices fast.

“Change in lifestyles and construction of haphazard buildings have hampered old settlements in Lalipur”, Rajbhandari, who is also the chairperson of Women Rehabilitation Centre, added.

Progressive writer Khagendra Sangraula said abolition of the feudal structure in the country could only help developmental activities reach all communities, castes and creed.

“We should not forget to identity various languages, ethnicity and culture. While demanding ethnic and cultural rights, we should not overlook the reality of the whole country and its integrity,” Sangraula said.

He added that the eight parties should take initiative to meet the demands of all marginalised communities.

He also said that the centralistic approach of the state has made the villages in the periphery of Lalitpur face lack of resources. “Only strong implementation of decentralisation process and the federal structure will serve the needs of all needy people, who either live near Kathmandu or far away from the capital,” he added.

At the seminar programme, papers on periphery shadow settlements, Tamang community, Newar and Tamang languages were presented.