An interaction program on the topic of "Access of Dalit community to policies, programs and budgets of Dhangadhimai Municipality" has been completed in Dhangadhimai Municipality of Siraha. At the program, Mayor Shivshankar Mahato expressed his commitment to allocate additional budget in the coming days and said that the municipality is making efforts for the development and empowerment of the Dalit community and that the municipality is committed to allocating additional budget in the coming days.
Mayor Mahato pointed out the need for the active participation of the Dalit community in budget formulation and admitted that although the municipality has so far targeted the Musahar community by operating contract farming projects, distributing motorcycles to farmers, and conducting awareness programs, the budget has not been allocated in proportion to the population. He also expressed his commitment to bring special programs for education, health and livelihood.
At the program, Deputy Mayor of the municipality Sangita Kumari Chaudhary informed that a program has been introduced to provide assistance of Rs 10,000 to Dalit community daughters when they get married after 20 years to declare the city free of child marriage. She said that the budget targeted for Dalits is low because Dalit community leaders are not active enough in budget formulation and policy reforms.
Executive member Satilal Sada said that the budget was allocated less due to the lack of representation and participation of the Dalit community in the budget preparation process. Ward chairpersons Suryanarayan Yadav, Hamid Miyan, Om Prakash Yadav, and Suryaman Tamang committed to allocate the budget by prioritizing Dalits in the coming days.
A study report was presented at the program under the chairmanship of Bhola Paswan, Executive Director of Dalit Sarokar Manch Nepal. The report presented by coordinators Manish Koirala and Sushendra Paswan presented the status of access to the budget, policies, and programs of the Dalit community in Dhangadhimai Municipality. Participants felt that continuation of such programs is necessary to make the municipality's accountability effective.
The interaction pointed out the need for active participation of the community, organized pressure, and planned work to make the budget effective for the Dalit community. Participants concluded that the budget could not be effective due to the lack of Dalit-friendly leadership, lack of awareness, and lack of access to the municipality.
Dhangadhimai Municipality had made public a budget of Rs. 825.39 crore in the fiscal year 2079/80. Only 7 lakhs were allocated for Dalits, of which 0.08 percent was allocated. A budget of 906.318 million rupees has been made public for the fiscal year 2080/81, of which 4.7 million has been allocated for Dalits. In this budget, arrangements have been made for housing construction for the Musahar community, awareness-raising training, and skill-based programs among Dalit-targeted programs.
The program is expected to empower the Dalit community and make the local government's accountability more effective. The participants urged that the budget be prepared by prioritizing the needs and demands of the Dalit community. Similarly, it was emphasized that all parties should work in coordination for the continuity and effective implementation of such programs.
The program, chaired by Tikaram Bishwakarma, coordinator of the Local Caste Discrimination and Untouchability Monitoring Committee, Dhangadhimai, was attended by ward chairmen of all wards of the municipality, executive members, members of the monitoring committee, and journalists.