Kathmandu, August 18:

The Dalit Welfare Organisation (DWO) today said the organisation is preparing a data bank of Dalits to simplify their recruitment in any organisation. The data bank is being prepared on the recommendation of a report on Dalit Recruitment Policies and Practices in the selected organisations, jointly prepared by Save the Children US and the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC). The report had recommended establishment of an inventory of potential Dalit candidates from among the supported graduates for their placement in different organisations, particularly for entry-level professional jobs. The inventory would provide agencies a wider pool of potential Dalit candidates, the report had said.

Speaking at the follow-up interaction on Increasing Dalit Recruitment in all sectors of Nepal’s economy, member of the National Planning Commission (NPC) Prof Dr Ram Prasad Chaudhary said the benefit of reservation did not reach to the needy. “Non-Dalits grabbed the opportunities meant for Dalits and well-off women were benefited by the seats reserved for the needy women,” he said, adding, the government has a tough challenge ahead to make the policy of positive discrimination a success.

Speaking from the floor, a representative of Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Arati Singh said there should be special criteria to recruit candidates from the Dalit and other marginalised communities because many times they cannot meet the criteria of the vacant post. Recalling the ongoing recruitment process at the LWF she said, “The federation has encouraged Dalits to apply for different posts but not even one applicant from over 100 of them is from the Dalit community.” Member of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries Noor Bikram Thapa said, “I don’t think there is any Dalit recruited at FNCCI”. Thapa, however, said he would take the issue of Dalit recruitment to the discussion within the FNCCI and work to formulate policy.