Kathmandu, Dec 21:

Constituent Assembly members from Achham and Bajhang districts today urged the government to do its bit to ensure social security for HIV positive single women.

The CA members said they would raise the issue of food deficiency and seek compensation for seized land in the Assembly and would launch protest if the problem were not addressed.

Speaking at a press meet organised by Single Women’s Group Living with HIV, Achham, and Farmers’ Defiant Struggle Committee, Bajhang, CA member Sher Bahadur Kunwar said, “We have been regularly drawing the government’s attention towards the concerns of these people.”

“People Living With HIV and their friends are in a dire need of state support towards educating

and nurturing their family, especially the children. Therefore, we want the government to take overall responsibility of such people,” he said.

Bhanu Bhakta Joshi, a CA member from Bajhang, said the government should take care of single women living with HIV and their dependents the same way it was taking care of physically disabled, senior citizens and other disadvantaged groups.

Joshi also criticised the government for failing to return the land captured by Nepal Army during the insurgency or to provide compensation.

CA members Shankar Khadka and Ram Bahadur Thapa Magar also expressed their solidarity on the issue.