Rajkumar Karki & Biplab Maharjan

The lockdown has brought life to a grinding halt for many but the hardest hit by the protracted lockdown are daily wage earners. The local units in various districts have started to reach out to these families to provide food and essentials to see them through the lockdown. 

One such local unit is Kamalamai Municipality in Sindhuli who distributed essential food items to 60 families of daily wage workers on Tuesday. 

“We went to their houses and have given them supplies to 60 families in Gwangkhola area who eke out their living by crushing pebbles. The municipality is collecting data of the poor families who are gravely affected by the prolonged lockdown,” said Mayor Khadga Bahadur Khatri. 

The municipality has provided food packages comprising 20kg rice, 3kg lentil, a packet of salt and edible oil, some potatoes, sugar and turmeric powder to each household. 

According to Sagar Kumar Dhakal, information officer at the municipality, the local unit has also provided health insurance to 394 families of daily wage workers. “In the first phase, we reached out to 60 families. We will cover all 394 families in the next few days,” said Dhakal. 

In Salyan, Darma Rural Municipality identified 165 families of daily wage earners in the local unit and provided them with food supplies. Locals like Bishal Singh of the rural municipality, also came forward to donate Rs 300,000 to help manage food essentials for the needy. 

Each family was provided 25kg rice, 1kg salt, 1-litre cooking oil and a bar of soap. Around 350 facemasks were also distributed among them. 

Likewise, Gaur and Gadhimai municipalities in Rautahat have extended support to 200 families of daily wage workers and Dalits. 

“The impoverished Dalit and families of daily wage workers were having a hard time due to the lockdown so the local unit provided food and other essentials to them, and to around 85 families in the Musahar settlement in the municipality,” said Ajaya Kumar Gupta, the mayor of Gaur Municipality. 

Sukendra Ram, one of the daily wage earners in Gaur, said, “We were worried about managing food for our families during the lockdown period. But the municipality has made things easier for us.” 

Similarly, Gadhimai Municipality provided food packages of 10kg rice, 1kg salt and half a litre cooking oil to more than 100 poor families of various Dalit settlements in the local unit.

Published on: 31 March 2020 | The Kathmandu Post