KATHMANDU: The daily wage earners from the Chepang community are severely affected after the lack of works in the wake of extended lockdown orders.
The people of the Chepang community in the 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 months, 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, Gam Bahadur Chepang of Dhusa village said.
Out of 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 on the farm for not getting 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- so the daily wage earners.
Likewise, Chairperson of the Rural Municipality Gita Kumari Gurung said that not only the members from the Chepang community but all daily wage earners in the rural municipality would also be deployed in the development construction.
Daily wage makers and poor would be given employment opportunities in the 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.
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