The Belaka Municipality in Nepal’s eastern Udaypur district, once struggling to get basic facilities, has set a perfect example with inspiring works and initiatives in all sectors, including education, agriculture, and health. The municipality has inspiring stories by showing how people and their representatives can work together to ensure sustainable livelihood for people.
Gopal Dahal: Center for Investigative Journalism- Nepal
Local authorities in Udayapur district–Nepal’s eastern district– quarantined as many as 148 people in at least four facilities, as fears spiraled over the increasing toll from the COVID-19 in the district.
On May 11, they were sent back to their homes. And to their surprise, they were handed over seeds of 11 different vegetables. The purpose was to transform their knowledge that they had acquired in the training given to them while in quarantine into practice.
Lucky they were as their days in the quarantine were productive, notwithstanding their trauma, as they were trained with some agriculture skills.
Before leaving the quarantine, they were given some tips to remain safe from the coronavirus pandemic.
That wasn’t all. The Belaka Municipality in the district also taught them some yoga skills, and carried out tests for the coronavirus.
The Musahar Community involved in agricultre in Ghumre, Belaka
Before going home after their quarantine was over, they appeared for a small skill test.
The municipality authorities prepared profiles of these people to ensure that the local body carried out their regular follow-up, informs Chief Administrative Officer Dharmananda Joshi.
In the face of challenges posed by Covid-19 to the production and supply chain, the municipality has initiated the task of collecting and evaluating the loss in the agriculture sector and animal farm within the municipality.
Likewise, it has also introduced a policy of providing a 50 percent grant on paddy seeds to embolden the farmers.
Says Mohan Prasad Ghimire, Chair of Ward- 9 of the municipality, “The focus has been on agriculture farming as it plays a vital role in uplifting the economy after the pandemic.”
The municipality, in fact, was equally committed to promoting the agriculture sector before the pandemic. The Musahar community of Ghumne-5 of the Municipality is currently bustling with activities as they remain busy selling organic vegetables such as cauliflowers, eggplants, cabbages and green leaves that they have cultivated in their kitchen garden.
Enticed with these pure and organic vegetables, buyers flock to Musahar’s farms on an everyday basis. The Musahar village–once isolated–now looks luxuriant with the ladies picking green vegetables while their children scribbling and soliloquizing English words.
Musahar women of Ghume, who once worked as waged laborers in some other’s farms for their livelihood, now are the proud owners of vegetable farms. Their children never attended schools. Life was difficult. But their lives have changed after the municipality imparted agriculture training to members of this community.
The municipality constituted a farmers’ group, managed 22 kathaas of land for vegetable farming that changed the lives of the Musahars of Ghume village.
Says a delighted Samarita Sada, treasurer of the farmers’ group, “It seems we have got a new life. There was a time when we were starving. Our lives have changed. Now, we earn 15-16,000 by selling vegetables every month.”
The credit, in fact, goes to the agriculture policy adopted by the Belaka Municipality. Among the top 10 priorities of the Municipality, agriculture and animal husbandry top the list. As a policy of making people self-reliant, the municipality provides food to the helpless and the incapable, and impart training to the competent ones.
The municipality, which had declared 2018/19 as the ‘foundation year for production’ floated a slogan: ‘Will not remain idle; support in production.’
“The agriculture farming in Musahar village through the farmers’ group is one such initiative to encourage people in farming to make them self-reliant,” says Mayor Durga Kumar Thapa of the municipality.
The Belaka Municipality has established an ‘Agriculture Training Center and Exhibition Site’ in the municipality premises where different vegetables such as green leaves, tomato, coriander, cauliflower, etc. are planted and sold. A bamboo nursery has also been developed. A sale counter has been set up at the municipality premises. The objective of setting up such a farm at the municipality premises is to make an impact and motivate people to see, learn, and start vegetable farming on their own.
Winter clothes distributed by the Belaka Municipality to the locals.
The municipality has entrusted 12 private companies to sell and export these agriculture products. Last year, the municipality had produced some 17 thousand quintals of corn cultivated in 50 hectares of land through a collective farming strategy.
This year the municipality has planted various seasonal agriculture products in some 1,000 bighas of land in three different places. The municipality had invested Rs 7 crore in agriculture last fiscal year, while it is expected to invest Rs 12 crore this fiscal year.
Moreover, the Belaka Municipality has formed as many as 300 groups to develop the agriculture sector. Moreover, in a bid to promote agriculture, it provides seeds, training to the farmers besides facilitating the export of their products. A collection center for vegetables and one for goats is being constructed in the municipality.
The municipality is preparing to purchase goats that the farmers bring to collection centers from the next fiscal year. Likewise, the municipality has also collaborated with the ‘rasanpani.com’ to buy locals products such as gundruk (fermented leafy vegetables), titaura (salty, sour, hot, or sweet pickle-like stuff) and mashyaura (lentil nuggets).
Free tea for senior citizens
The municipality, which has a population of 45,122, has prepared a ‘Village Profile’ by listing poverty-stricken and destitute people. If the record in the Village Profile is to go by, 22 percent of the population with sufficient food only for three months has decreased to 10 percent now.
The data shows that 65 people in the municipality are still not able to work for survival. Classifying these people as ‘extremely poor’, the Tole Development Association has provided ‘identify cards for poor’ to them based on the recommendation of the ward and the municipality.
The municipality manages 15 kilos rice, two kilos lentils, two liters oil, and one kilo salt per month to these ‘extremely deprived’ people who receive these items in their doorsteps.
That’s not all. The municipality has given the same facility to beggars, domestic helpers, helpless, and people with chronic diseases. Consider what a beneficiary Pamphasari Rai of Belaka-8 has to say: “I don’t have to starve as I get enough food to eat on a timely basis. I am least worried now.”
The municipality has also managed free tea for senior citizens. More than 50 senior citizens drink tea free of cost in Rampur bazaar of Belaka daily. The municipality, which has been bearing the cost of the tea, has managed an assistant to serve tea to the senior citizens.
Eighty-one-year-old Surya Bahadur Thapa of Belaka-9 is one such senior citizen, who has been availing this service. “Since the municipality has been serving free tea for people like us, we generally come here for tea,” says Thapa expressing his gratitude toward the municipality.
Thapa says they do not have to walk all the way to the bank to receive their senior citizen’s allowance as the municipality has managed to handover the allowance at their homes.
The municipality has also launched a ‘Support on the spot’ campaign to extend instant support to people in need. It has also formed a ‘Youth Voluntary Group’ (Yuwa Swayamsewak Samuha) to support the poor and people in need.
Likewise, the municipality has also managed rescue and first-aid facilities to people who meet with accidents by falling from trees, or snake bites, among others. In the fiscal year 2018/19, the municipality spent a total of Rs 700,000 to support 135 needy people, according to the annual report of Belaka.
Furthermore, the municipality also takes care of the transportation fare to and fro the hospital and snacks to cancer patients. Says cancer patient Sita Ghimire, “It is a relief for people like us that the municipality has been providing transportation cost and money for snacks.”
Zero maternity death-rate
The municipality uses vehicles of the mayor, deputy mayor, and chief administrative officer as ambulances to get medicines from Dharan and Biratnagar as well as to provide services to sick people deprived of essential medicines due to the lockdown to stem the coronavirus pandemic. Pregnant and new mothers are given special care by providing nutritious food during the lockdown.
Two ambulances in the municipality have been utilized to the fullest during the lockdown. One of the two ambulances is popularly known as ‘Secured Maternity Ambulance’ as it carries expecting mothers to the hospital free of charge, according to the mayor’s personal secretary Nuni Ram Rai. “It, however, does not mean that this ambulance does not take care of other patients. But it prioritizes expecting mothers because of which the rate of maternal mortality rate has decreased significantly.”
One of the participants demonstrating their skill after completing the training given by the Belaka Municipality.
According to the data maintained by the municipality’s social development section, until two years ago, out of approximately 1,200 women becoming pregnant in Belaka, only 300 of them used to go to the hospital for delivery while the rest were compelled to give birth in their homes resulting in the death of two to three mothers every year. But now that the number of death rates has gone down as the municipality sends a ‘congratulatory note’ to the expecting mothers to encourage them to visit hospitals for regular check-ups.
The municipality manages ambulances to bring them to the hospital when expecting mothers undergo labor pain. “Last year a woman lost her life. However, this year there has been a zero maternity death rate,” says Gopal Niraula, Chief at the Social Development Section.
According to him, the ambulance driver has been asked to assist the patient’s attendants in completing the formalities, including the admission process in the hospital and getting the required medicines.
The municipality claims to have collaborated with different hospitals for the health service of the municipality dwellers. According to the municipality, a total of 40 people from the municipality were referred to different hospitals in the Valley, including Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Lele-based Ananda Bhawan Hospital, and the Biratnagar-based Nobel Hospital for treatment last year.
Mayor Thapa says 33 differently-abled people are undergoing treatment at the Kavre-based Disabled Children’s’ Hospital and Rehabilitation Center. Poverty-stricken Harsha Bahadur Biswokarma of Belaka-8 underwent amputation at the Lele-based hospital. Biswokarma said he survived because of the support of the municipality.
Snakebite was a problem in Belaka Municipality. Local Asmita Rai breathed her last breath undergoing treatment at the Snake-bite Treatment Center. The municipality then established the ‘Asmita Rai Memorial Community Snakebite Treatment Center’ in Belaka.
Rajesh Bhattarai, who had previously served at the Nepal Army snake-bite Treatment Center and retired, has been appointed at the Belaka-based Center. According to him, some 227 people have been successfully treated in the Center so far.
The municipality has been managing an eye treatment center in collaboration with the Mechi Eye Hospital. The data made available by the Social Development Branch shows a total of 224 eye patients have availed free operation at the hospital in the last two years.
Voluntary teachers
Out of the total budget of Rs 23 crore, the Belaka Municipality had in the previous fiscal year allocated a total of Rs 30 million in the education sector. The municipality has developed and implemented its unique education model in an effort to further enhance the education quality in the government schools. A provision has been in place to ensure that the members of the school management committee mandatorily visited the 53 schools in the municipality in turn to monitor the education quality.
One of the participants of detergent making training organised by Belaka Municipality.
Meanwhile, the municipality has appointed 110 volunteer teachers to fulfill the vacant positions for teachers. The municipality has allocated one and a half crore for the management of the schools. Besides, two teachers have been appointed to take tuition classes to the students in the Musahar village and Purandaha. Students involved in sports are given free tuition classes.
The municipality organized a review meeting to discuss the results of the SEE last year. Realizing the need to improve mathematics in high schools, the municipality started coaching classes by hiring math teachers.
Moreover, all schools have installed ‘Talking Teacher’ software to teach the English language to the students. Handwriting training and sanitary pad distribution have been managed in the schools besides providing lunch to deprived students. Resource person Rai claims the education quality in the municipality has drastically improved compared to previous years.
Finding that the quality of education has gone up in government school, as many as 225 students from private schools joined the government school, according to Rai.
Likewise, Chairmen of all school management committees, principals, municipality office bearers, and people’s representatives have enrolled their children in government schools. The principal of Gyan Jyoti Basic High School, Reshmi Bantawa, too, has transferred her two children studying in a private school to a government school.
The municipality has brought out its education calendar with an appropriate syllabus. Furthermore, all 53 schools in the municipality conduct Montessori classes, and 22 schools having electricity are conducting smart classes. As per the decision of July 2016, the municipality had blocked the salary of three teachers for consuming alcohol, and not being serious about their duties. Two, among them, were forgiven as they signed a document promising not to repeat such mistakes.
One among them, Madhav Prasad Kafle, has not received his salary for the past two months.
“The school compound, which earlier looked like a grazing pasture for cows, now looks like an educational institution,” says Mayor Thapa.
‘Representatives with people’
Amid an ongoing meeting of the ‘Representatives with People’ on December 30, 2019, at Haripur Tole of Belaka-4, the issue of constructing toilets for at least 8 poor households was raised and instantly decided that the toilets be constructed. While the technical and people’s representatives decided to provide necessary materials such as sheets, cement and pans, the locals agreed to provide labor.
According to Mohan Prasad Ghimire, Spokesperson of the municipality, the decision was implemented in 16 days. Likewise, the problem of drinking water faced by around 28 households due to the lack of a 600-meter pipe to complete the Khaniu Khola Drinking Water Project, too, was addressed instantly. Locals complained of a lack of electricity, which, too, was addressed in two weeks.
The program has been named ‘Representatives with People’ as the local representatives make an instant commitment and implement it as soon as possible wherever people make complaints.
The Judicial Committee headed by the municipality’s Deputy Mayor Raj Kumari Chaudhary has resolved approximately 600 cases so far. Out of the 105 cases this year, only eight cases were sent to the court while the rest were resolved at the local level.
Says Deputy Mayor Chaudhary, “We conduct discussions on legal issues involving students, youths, and representatives from other sectors. We try to resolve the majority of the legal issues at the local level.”
Mayor Thapa showing Belaka Municipality’s agriculture produce.
The municipality has also constituted separate committees for the upliftment of minorities, and backward communities such as Tharu, Thami, Majhi, Chaudhary, Bhujel, and Dalits (Hills and Madesh).
Dineshwor Chaudhary, who was elected from the Nepali Congress to the Chairman of Ward-1 of the municipality in the Nepal Communist Party stronghold of Belaka municipality, says, “We have encompassed all caste and region in our development efforts. We have been getting positive feedbacks.” He is also the coordinator of the municipality’s Institutionalized Development Committee.
One million tree plantation
The Belaka Municipality has planted as many as 1,600 saplings of avocado, jackfruit, and bay leaves in coordination with the Nepal Army. According to Basanta Kumar Magar, coordinator of the municipality’s Forest and Environment Committee, a total of one lakh (100,000) saplings, including bay leaves, jackfruit, litchi, bamboo, and other plants since August 2019 in the municipality.
Besides, they have planted more than 20 thousand banana plants and 20 thousand pineapples. Likewise, the municipality is also working on conserving vultures at the Suhachari Bhir. A paragliding training has also been started in a bid to promote tourism in the municipality.
A meeting of the Belaka Municipality on April 9, 2018 had decided to set up an office of the opposition party and include the opposition leaders in the monitoring committee as members. Nepali Congress (NC), however, has not yet come to the office despite its establishment. “We did not go to the office as there is no provision in the constitution of opposition at the local levels. Besides, our party has not decided on the issue,” says Sushil Sedhain, president of the Nepali Congress municipality.
Asked to respond about the Belaka Municipality’s performance and activities, Sedhain says, “NC is closely monitoring the activities of the municipality in its own way. We regularly attend the all-party meeting. We support the municipality’s good works.”
The Belaka Municipality was constituted by encompassing erstwhile Thoksila, Tapeswori, Maina Maine, and Katunje Babala VDCs in 2016. Nepali Communist Party’s candidate Durga Kumar Thapa (Swasti) was elected as the Mayor in the local election held on June 28, 2017.
Even as Belaka had no basic infrastructure to become a municipality, the local authorities endeavored to give it a new look. “We started to work by constructing a temporary building. Over time, Belaka Municipality has gained momentum in its efforts toward development and prosperity,” Thapa recalls those days of struggle.
Local intellectual Bhusan Rai says the municipality has invested significantly in sectors like education, agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure development. “The municipality’s policy is appreciable. Now it should create an environment to ensure that locals are spontaneously engaged in developmental works,” he says.
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development Ghanshyam Bhusal reached Belaka Municipality to take stock of its ‘development’ model. Minister Bhusal had even extended support in agriculture development by summoning Mayor Thapa to the ministry.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rajendra Upreti, Chief at the Division of the Ministry of Land Reforms, Agriculture and Cooperative of Province 1, and Secretary Dr. Bimal Kumar Nirmal, too, appreciated the municipality’s development efforts after visiting Belaka.
“It’s, in fact, an appreciable that the Belaka Municipality has implemented agriculture projects by incorporating farmers and others. Likewise, projects such as agro-tourism, home-stay, land management, collective farming, among others have been implemented successfully.”
In the guest book, they have categorically written, “We are extremely pleased with the entrepreneurship programs such as goat collection center, vegetable programs, and programs for the upliftment of Dalits and Janajatis. A lot of programs have been exemplary”
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development had on September 19 appreciated the municipality with a certificate for its exemplary work on agriculture and animal farming. Chairman of Udaypur District Coordination Committee, Khadga Bahadur Pariyar views that the Belaka Municipality has set an example because of its new model of development efforts in the country.
“Other rural municipalities should follow-suit. In fact, Belaka has done exemplary work,” says Pariyar.
Suresh Dhakal and Janak Rai, students of sociology at the Tribhuvan University, who had reached the Belaka Municipality for their research on ‘Inclusive Democracy and Local Good Governance’, too, were impressed with the new development model of the municipality. They took to Twitter to share their experience saying Belaka Municipality has led by example by adopting a new approach of development at a time when local levels are confused about the development approach.
“The efforts put in by the Belaka Municipality have been encouraging. However, it will take some time to bear the fruits. The municipality has done small, yet significant works by incorporating all sections of the society, which I would say, is a healthy practice of inclusive democracy,” Dhakal says.
