This pond is very dirty and we have to drink water drawn from the hand pipes installed near the pond— Sanjay Marik, a local

Biratnagar, December 4

Dom voters of Biratnagar Metropolis-11 are frustrated with political parties for not fulfilling their pledge to build basic amenities in their area and to provide them with land plots.

Sanjay Marik a resident of the area where almost 200 Dom residents live said residents of the area including women walk almost 15-20 minutes to answer the call of nature as there is no toilet in the area.

“This pond is very dirty and we have to drink water drawn from the hand pipes installed near the pond,” Sanjay said pointing to the nearby pond. He said residents of the area were living in a very dirty condition due to which they often fell sick.

“We do not have jobs so we have to raise pigs to earn money but raising pigs spoils the environment,” he added.

Sanjay also said he kept hearing from his father and grandfather about political parties making pledges to improve living condition in their area, but they did not fulfil their pledge.

Sanjay said Waste Management Group had provided employment to almost two dozen boys and girls from the Dom community for cleaning and sweeping Biratnagar metropolis but Dom workers were not happy with the pay and other benefits offered by this group. Dom voters said they do not get all the benefits at a par with government employees.

Residents of Dom tole said Dom employees of the metropolis were being exploited by the waste management group. “When they are absent for just one day, their supervisors cut their pay worth five days’ work. Doms are not educated and they do not know how to fight against discrimination against them,” Sanjay added.

Another resident of Dom tole Pradip Marik said leaders pledges in all the past elections to improve the living condition in his area but they did not return to their village after winning the election. “Candidates show their faces only during elections,” he added.

He further said Doms were in the lowest rung of society and hence the government should make provisions for free education for Dom students. “We want Biratnagar metropolis to give us jobs and not the waste management company because the company does not give us allowances at a par with the metropolis,” he added.

Pradip also said that the Waste Management Group often discontinued their jobs, which deprived them of steady income.