Rukum, July 11

Local Development Officer of Rukum, Bharat Kumar Sharma, handed over a piece of land to a Dalit family at Muru VDC-6 of the district.

The five-member family of Pabitra Damai was facing a hard time after the untimely demise of her husband Man Bahadur, the breadwinner of the family, in April this year.

LDO Sharma handed over the land ownership certificate to Pabitra amid a function at Muru today.

One-and-a-half month earlier, Pabitra along with Nepali Congress leader Bhim Bahadur Dangi had reached the District Development Committee seeking financial support.

LDO Sharma later reached Pabitra’s village and uploaded the picture of her dilapidated house in his Facebook account appealing for financial support to the family.

Upon seeing the post, Lions Club of Rukum Rapti and Lions Club of Rukum Musikot had provided some relief materials to Pabitra’s family.

A group of Rukum residents living in Makau also launched a campaign to collect fund for the family. They collected Rs 120,000 within a few days.

“A piece of land was bought with the money collected with the initiative of Ghanashyam Khadka and Om Khadka of Khalanga, and Bharat KC of Chhiwang, Rukum,” said LDO Sharma.

The family is elated with the support they’ve received. “I am happy to have a piece of land in my name as I had never in my life expected to have it,” said Pabitra. She expressed her gratitude to all who helped her directly and indirectly.

“Initiatives to collect money to construct a house are under way. We have appealed to the Nepali Army to donate labour,” said LDO Sharma.