DAILEKH: Having been informed that Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal is going to inaugurate the Dailekh Mahotsav, members of the endangered Raute community here in the district said they were eager to see the country’s chief executive.

The Rautes got the information about the PM’s visit in the district headquarters where they came to sell their wooden products. The Mahotsav is scheduled to be begin on January 6.

Although a team of Rautes, headed by Mukhiya Main Bahadur Shahi, was preparing to tour all the way to the capital to inform the premier about the problems facing the community, it has been cancelled. ‘’We need foodstuff and allowance,’’ said Main Bahadur. ‘’I will inform the PM about the problems of my people.’’

The Rautes, one of the attractions of the Mahotsav, are facing starvation. According to Shahi, their traditional craftmanship of carving out wooden vessels was threatened due to the cold weather and the falling demand for their wares.