Kathmandu, August 4:

Deputy Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Lekh Nath Bhusal, said today that the government has proposed land bank policy to minimise poverty. Speaking at a workshop titled ‘Increasing Dalit Recruitment’ organised by the Dalit Welfare Organisation, he said the proposed land bank — a project to distribute land to the poor — would have a solid and concrete policy to empower economically disadvantaged communities, including the Dalits.

“The present grim situation is a result of injustice, social discrimination and poverty,” he said.

Executive director of the NRB Shushil Mathema suggested the National Dalit Commission, National Planning Commission and the Ministry of General Administration to work together to make a new recruitment policy so as to integrate more Dalits. Head of the Human Resource Development at the Agriculture Development Bank, Bijaya Swanr, suggested the Dalit community to approach the government for the formulation of Dalit recruitment policy. Manager of the Action Aid Nepal, Dhuti Baral, also said the existing policy was not enough to recruit Dalits. Assistant manager of the Nepal Bank Limited, Shyam Shrestha, said data on Dalits should be correct and comprehensive so that a policy maker can work properly.