Kathmandu, May 25: The Kamaiya Concern Group (KCG) organised a press conference here recently to highlight the kamaiya agitation that is continuing in Kailali since the beginning of this month.
Nineteen Kamaiyas of landlord Shivaraj Pant of Geta VDC in Kailali district initiated the agitation pressing for the fulfilment of a set of demands— liberation from bonded labour status, waiver of Sauki or loan, entitlement to minimum wage, arrangement for house, land and security.
In an appeal distributed at the press conference, the KCG has demanded that the government take seriously the problems of the striking Kamaiyas and fulfill their demands.
The group has also stressed the need for the government to immediately formulate a bonded labour abolition act thereby paving the way for the liberation of the Kamaiyas.
Pesident of INSEC told the press that since His Majesty’s Government has fixed Rs. 60 as minimum daily wage and Rs. 7.50 as minimum wage per hour for agricultural labourers with effect from Magh, 2056 B.S, it is the responsibility of the government to implement this provision.
A press statement issued by an all-party meeting held under the Kailali DDC chairman on May 23 to discuss the Kamaiya agitation issue was also read out at the press conference.
The all party meeting in Dhangadhi was attended by, among others concerned, the representative of Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and RPP.
The all party meeting has, in the press statement, urged the landlord in question and other landlords to publicly announce waiver of the loans that is said to have been taken by Kamaiyas.
It has also demanded the government enact a legislation during the ongoing parliamentary session for abolition of bonded labourers, make necessary provisions for the waiver of loans and rehabilitation of the Kamaiyas.
The press statement also says that since the Kamaiyas currently staging the sit in have been automatically displaced the government should issue necessary instruction requiring the landless squatters problems resolution commission to immediately provide them land for settlement.
Lkewise, as decided by the all-party meeting a 15-member committee comprising the representatives of Kamaiyas, the government and non government organisations working for the abolition of bonded labour, and local bodies to adopt a Kailali declaration for the abolition of bonded labourers.
It was announced at the end of the press conference that the Kamaiya agitation will continue until the demands of the Kamaiyas are fulfilled.
Meanwhile, Land Reform Officer Mukti Bahadur Swanra, who was posted at the Land Reform Office, Kailali in the past and later transferred to the Department of Land Reform was taken into police custody and an investigation initiated against him on a suspicion of embezzlement of advance amounts, according to CDO Tara Gautam.
The accused failed to conduct any training under the Kamaiya professionalism development programme for which he had received advances of about Rs. 300,000 from time to time under different headings.
Receiving of any amount as advance in the name of the office head or chief accountant is generally contrary to financial regulations.
Meanwhile, Swanr has been released against a surety of Rs. 654,000 after taking a statement from him.