Dhangadhi, May 22: Minister of State for Land Reform and Management Gopal Rai has said that His Majesty’s Government is committed to transforming the Kamaiya system of bonded labour into the agricultural labour system.
Minister of State Rai made the comment while addressing an all-party meeting organised here the other day. The meeting was organised with the objective of holding discussions on issues like liberation of bonded labours, resettlement programme and other such welfare programmes launched by His Majesty’s Government and also to seek ways of resolving the Kamaiya agitation programme launched here a few days back.
The meeting was also held to study and review the works of the district based offices of the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management.
Minister of State Rai underlined the need for cooperation of all the political parties and all sides to abolish the Kamaiya system which remains as a blight for the entire nation.
Secretary at the Ministry of Land Reform and Management Yoddha Shaha, Chief District Officer Tana Gautam, DDC Chairman Narayan Datta Mishra, MPs Pushkar Nath Ojha and Ram Kumar Chaudhari and representatives of various political parties had presented various suggestions at the meeting organised by the Kailali district administration office.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Minister of State Rai said that the Kamaiya system would be abolished within the next four years and the bonded labourers would be resettled, rehabilitated and given employment by the government.
In Kathmandu, Minister of State for Local Development Suresh Malla felicitated a team of Indian pilgrims who reached here after a successful pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar by presenting them with Khada and bouquets at a function held here Sunday.
Kailash Mansarovar is a famous pilgrimage site in west Tibet in the People’s Republic of China. It can be reached from a famous trekking route from Humla district of Nepal.
At the programme organised by the Shrestha Holidays, a trekking and tourism agency, Minister of State Malla said Nepal is not only known as the land of peace, it is also known as the land of Lord Shiva.
Religion and spiritualism give the meaning and reality to life, he said.
The programme was presided over by president of Shrestha Holidays-India Mr. Rajendra Kumar Pradhan. The programme was also addressed by Miss Nepal 2000 Smbika Kafle.
The team had set out on the pilgrimage on May 5. It reached Kathmandu on May 22 on completion of the pilgrimage via Khasa.
The team comprised of 32 persons from 11 years old to 75 year olds. The Kailash Mansarovar journey is about 900 kilometres from Kathmandu.
In Lalitpur, seven-member delegation of Lalitpur sub-metropolitan city led by Mayor Buddhi Raj Bajracharya left on a visit to chhengdu city of the People’s Republic of China on Saturday.
The other members of the delegation include Deputy Mayor Ramesh Chitrakar, Executive Officer Shashi Shekhar Shrestha, Chief of the International Coordination Department Mukunda Bista and Ward Chairmen Bhakta Raj Rajkarnikar, Bhaju Ratna Shakya and Hera Ratna Shakya.
The team left for the visit at the invitation of Chhengdu municipality which is is said to be keen for the sustainable development of Lalitpur Municipality.
While in Lhasa the delegation will meet with the Nepalese businessmen and nationals residing there, visit different parts of the city and hold discussions with the officials of the Chhengdu municipality on the sustainable development in Lalitpur Municipality.
A memorandum establishing sister city relations between the two municipalities is also to be signed during the visit.
The delegation will also hold talks on building a china town in Lalitpur, and the construction of a city hall, sewerage and sustainable electrification of the town.