Kathmandu, January 11, 2007

The full time short-distance child porters, who carry half the weight of the adults porters carry, have a sense of responsibility towards family and aspire to migrate to big cities in India to generate more income.

A 15-year-old Ramji Bhujel, his first cousin Gopal Bhujel, 16, two child porters in Kalimati Fruit and Vegetable Market ferry loads to support their families back in Nalang village of Dhading.

Their day starts at 2 am in the morning to catch the vehicles that bring in vegetables from various districts. “We carry loads up to 70 kgs to assist the green grocers till 9 am,” said Ramji, adding that they collect Rs 250 on an average at the end of the day.

“We come from economically backward farmer families and do not grow enough food to meet other expenses,” said Gopal. “We have experience of living and working in Kathmandu, we hope to work in India and earn more money as our elders,” they added.

These drop-outs from Sidheshwari High School in Nalang, have been supporting their families for the last four years and make sure that their younger siblings attend school. Krishna Magar, 16, who hails from Nuwakot said he landed to Kathmandu to work in restaurants but ended up being a porter.

“Though we have backaches, headaches, we are not unsatisfied with the job. Most of the time, we get to cook fresh vegetables at free of cost,” he said. Magar also added that this job in bigger cities would fetch more earnings.

Consumers for local investment in Upper Tamakoshi project

Consumers today demanded that the government encourage Nepali investors to fund the Rs 30 billion Upper Tamakoshi Hydroelectricity project, which is awaiting funding to produce 309 MW of power.

“The government should prevent any foreign investors from coming in the project and it should be carried out as a pure Nepali project ,” said Ram Chandra Chataut, the chairman of Water Users’ Federation Nepal.

He also said that there is possibility of collecting Rs 30 billion from Nepali investors as Karmachari Sanchaya Kosh alone has around Rs 8 to 10 billion.

In addition, other major investors like Nepal Insurance Corporation, Citizens’ Provident Fund, commercial banks, Nepal Army and others can contribute Rs 14 to 15 billion. Chataut said that the electricity to be generated from the project should be distributed to domestic consumers.

“When 80 per cent of the total population do not have access to electricity facility, we cannot imagine of exporting electricity,” he added.

Arjun Kumar Karki, the managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority said though the investors have not been finalised, the Upper Tamakoshi Project is in the government’s high priority.