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"Suggestions and feedbacks collection program on the bills (Public health, Food Security and Housing) submitted to the federal parliament"Back to News List


Dalit NGO Federation (DNF) has organized an interaction program on "Suggestions and feedbacks collection program on the bills (Public health, Food Security and Housing) submitted to the federal parliament". The program was held on 22nd August 2018 at Alfa beta House, Baneshwor, Kathmandu. The main objectives of the program were to collect essential feedbacks and suggestions on three bills including free public health service, food security and housing rights and prepare amendment proposals on the respective bills for the consideration of the parliamentarians to be registered into the parliament.

The chief guest of the program was Mr. Ram Lakhan Harijan, the national assembly member and Mr. Jeevan Pariyar, advocate and former Member of Parliament, Mr. Hira Bishwokarma,

Dalit intellectual and researcher and Mr. Prakash Nepali were the key analysts and reviewers to present the gaps on Dalit issues into the bills.   In the program there were, altogether, 44 participants from Dalit activists, expertise, social activists, professional and other concerned. Out of them, there were 8 female and 36 male. 

Mr. Bhakta Bishwokarma, Acting President of the Dalit NGO Federation (DNF) chaired the program and the Mr. J.B. Bishwokarma, Secretary General, was the host of the program.

There were three bills discussed in the program including public health, food security and sovereignty and right to Housing. Mr. Jeevan Pariyar, the advocate the former Member of Parliament analyzed the public health bill from Dalit perspective. Similarly, the review on food security and sovereignty and housing bills were done by Mr. Prakash Nepali, advocate and Mr. Hira Bishwokarma, Dalit intellectual and researcher respectively.

Ms. Sita Sunuwar, the representative of Hemawanti , told that there should be disaggregated data of landless and homeless Dalits to address their issues on the bills.

Mr. J.B. Bishwakarma, the Secretary General of DNF told that the amount of 250,000/- allocated to build house per family is not enough for Dalit. The houses those are made for Dalit community by government have no toilets and bathrooms. So, there is a necessity in the increment of the amount. Mr. Motilal Nepali the president of DWO said that there should be priority of Dalit community in the bills to address their problems and issues. It is necessary to find out rights of Dalit communities in all upcoming bills and the bills which are about to pass from the parliament.

Mr. Ram Lakhan Harijan member of the National Assembly who was the chief guest of the program also thanked the organizing team and reiterated his commitment to raise the issue of Dalit rights into the National Assembly. He also said that he would play a major role to bring Dalit friendly laws collaborating with other Dalit parliament members in both houses. He also mentioned that there is a deadline of passing all the legislations within Ashoj 3, 2075  as per the constitution. Therefore, the issues under article 40 of the constitution related to Dalit rights must be discussed and emphasized soon.

Acting president of DNF Mr. Bhakta Bishwakarma expressed his opinion that there are no any bills in which Dalit word has been hardly recognized to fulfill the demands and expectations of Dalit community. So the federation will organize regular discussions and interactions on the concerned bills.

 

Opportunities

Accomplishment

  • DNF as network organization has presence at 69 districts of Nepal through its member organizations. It has well established offices at central, five development regions, and 10 districts of Nepal. Currently, 344 Dalit NGOs from Hill, Mountain and Terai are affiliated with DNF.
  • DNF has significantly contributed to establish Rights against untouchability caste based and discrimination as fundamental rights of Dalits for the first time in the Interim Constitution of Nepal.
  • DNF along with its national level member organizations were able to introduce separate Dalit chapter in Tenth National Plan of Nepal government (widely known as Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper) for the first time in the country. Thereafter, the government has continuously prioritized Dalit chapter in its following national periodic plans.

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