Pokhara, January 15

Demanding that Gandaki Province be declared a child-friendly province, a 25 point memorandum was submitted to Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Prithvi Subba Gurung in Pokhara today.

In coordination with Jagriti Child and Youth Sarokar Nepal, as many as 45 girls from Devchuli Municipality of Nawalpur, reached CM Gurung’s residence today and submitted the memo.  The girls have also drawn the CM’s attention to the need to manage child-friendly toilets in schools and child helpline numbers in the local levels. Other demands of the girls include separate desk to address children’s issues, child-friendly local administration, resource centres for youths, girl insurance programme, child-friendly research and justice system.

Receiving the memo, CM Gurung said the provincial government had been working to make the province child-friendly. He also assured them that the provincial government believed in working rather than talking.

Similarly, the girls also met Gandaki Province Social Development Minister Nar Devi Pun Magar and urged her to allocate necessary budget for girls’ capacity building. Likewise, the girls have also urged Minister of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment Bikash Lamsal to take initiatives to control smuggling of illegal drugs, crime and to ensure safety of girls, among others.