The Dipayal Silagadhi municipality in Doti district has decided to buy land plots for the homeless Badi community in the district.
The Badi people belong to the Dalit community and have been marginalized and treated as 'untouchables'. The Badi community mostly lives in the hilly and tarai districts of Mid and Far western region of the country.
The Badi women were high-class courtesans during the 18th century and later after losing royal patronage of the hill kings of Salyan, Jajarkot and Musikot in 1950s, many of the Badi women had resorted entertainment activities as dancing, singing and alleged flesh trade for subsistence while the male member of the community relied on pottery, fishing, making the traditional Nepali musical drum Madal for livelihood.
There are as many as 104 Badi households in Doti district, most of them do not have houses and land of their own.
The Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality has made the decision to relocate and resettle those homeless and landless Badi people currently residing in the temporary shelters at the old regional district headquarter Dipayal.
They have been demanding appropriate housing, education for their children, skill-oriented training, and special provisions for those with physical and mental disabilities, among others, said Mayor Manju Malashi.
"Preparations are underway to buy land for the resettlement of the landless Badis. The Badis will get their own house and land soon," said Malashi, adding, "The construction of buildings to house the homeless Badi will begin as soon as the land is procured."
Municipality Executive Chief Bhojraj Sharma said that move was made in line with the government's 'Janata Awash Karyakram' (People's Housing Program).
People's Housing Program was introduced by then Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal during his leadership in 2009-10 which aims to resettle those homeless and landless communities across the country.
Furthermore, the Constitution of Nepal has stipulated that every citizen shall have the right to an appropriate housing and no citizen shall be evicted from the residence owned by him or her or shall his or her residence infringed except in accordance with law.
