Nepal’s Lumbini becomes first province to pass Dalit welfare bill
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Kathmandu: Nepal’s Lumbini Province has become the first province in the country to pass a bill focused on ensuring the livelihood, welfare, and social protection of the Dalit community.
While Nepal already has a national law on Dalit rights that primarily addresses discrimination and the protection of equal rights, the bill endorsed by the Lumbini Provincial Assembly places stronger emphasis on welfare measures, including access to housing, healthcare, and education for Dalits.
Nepal has seven provinces in total — Lumbini, Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim. Under the Constitution of Nepal, provincial and local governments are permitted to enact their own legislation, provided it does not conflict with federal laws.
The new bill includes provisions for housing arrangements for individuals and families from the Dalit community, hostel facilities for economically disadvantaged Dalit students pursuing higher education, and priority placement for Dalit students in hostels across government, private, and community schools and universities within the province.
In the health sector, the legislation guarantees free treatment, as determined by the provincial government, for impoverished Dalit citizens suffering from complex and serious illnesses. It also provides for subsidies, discounts, and concessional loans on technical equipment, tools, and raw materials aimed at preserving, developing, and modernising traditional occupations of the Dalit community.
Minister for Social Development Janmajay Timilsina presented the proposal in the Provincial Assembly, where it was unanimously approved. He said that once enacted, the law would ensure human rights and social justice for the Dalit community, strengthen inclusive representation at all levels of the state, and increase participation of Dalits from policymaking to implementation.
“It will establish equitable access to economic resources, means, and opportunities for the Dalit community, thereby putting social justice into practice,” Timilsina said.
Lokmani Pandey, spokesperson of the Lumbini Provincial Assembly, told IANS that the bill will become law after endorsement by the provincial chief (Provincial Governor). He added that the legislation has proposed a range of welfare measures for Dalit communities.
According to the 2021 census, Dalits account for 14.30 per cent of Lumbini Province’s population. Nationally, the community makes up 13.44 per cent of Nepal’s nearly 30 million population.
Meanwhile, the newly formed central government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah announced in its 100-day action plan on March 30 that it would issue a public apology to the Dalit community for historical injustices and introduce reform-oriented programmes to address long-standing issues faced by them.
With IANS inputs