Source::
Daily wage earners from the Chepang community are severely affected after the lack of work in the wake of extended lockdown. The people of Chepang community in Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality of Chitwan District, who generally manage their living by earning wages, are at the receiving end as there is no work for them owing to the lockdown.
Normally, they make their living for six months from the millet, maize and other crops cultivated from the terrace farming. As the lockdown continued for around one and a half month, the Chepang people said they were facing hardship to ensure daily meals. Some a month ago, the rural municipality distributed 10 kilograms of rice to each family but now they have nothing left at home to eat,
Out of the 53 Chepang households in Dhusa village, some have grown vegetables but that too have not gotten the market for sale, another member from the community Siddhanta Chepang said. “The cucumbers have decayed in the farm after not getting to the market. Now, the government should give us employment,” Siddhanta said, arguing that they can live only when they have work. Since they lack sufficient lands, the Chepang families are not self-reliant in agriculture.
Chairperson of the Rural Municipality Gita Kumari Gurung said that not only members from the Chepang community, but all daily wage earners in the rural municipality would be deployed in the development construction.
Daily wage makers and the poor would be given employment opportunities in development projects to be carried out in the rural municipality, Gurung promised. Those projects include road construction, drinking water and electrification, she shared. Gurung, however, urged the needy people to contact to their respective ward offices in case they are in urgent need and promised immediate relief packages.
