The House of Representatives Monday approved a bill to ban all Kamaiya or traditional slave labour mainly prevalent in five western terai districts of the kingdom.

About 20,000 Tharu families will benefit from the law. Tharus live in the terai districts of Nepal but the system is only prevalent in the west to mainly upkeep the irrigation system of the region.

Government banned the practice last year by fiat. The former slaves have not been fully rehabilitated despite a policy ban on slavery.