Youths of the Raute community, nomadic tribe, in Karnali Province have demanded the provincial government ensure them with food security.
Calling on Chief Minister of the Province, Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, at his office on Friday, the Raute youths urged the government to provide them with enough rice and other food items.
CM Shahi pledged to continue the provincial government’s support to the Rautes in future. The federal government has been providing a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 each while the Karnali Province government has added monthly Rs 2,000 to their allowance since the current fiscal year.
CM Shahi instructed Minister for Social Development Yagya Bahadur BC to address the demands of the Rautes at the earliest.
The census of 2011 had put the population of the Rautes, who are one the marginalized endangered indigenous communities in the country, at 618. A majority of them were found to be living in forests in far-western region of the country.
Minister BC told Rastriya Samachar Samiti that their demands will be heeded. Earlier the tradition had it that the chief of the tribe had been meeting the executive chief of the Province. This time the youngsters Raute had called on the CM and concerned ministers.
The Rautes in the locality had recently undergone PCR test against COVID-19.