Lumbini Province Aims To Discourage Child Marriage, Migration

The Lumbini province government has presented its policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year 2081-82 (2024-25) before the Province Assembly. Province Chief Amik Sherchan presented them in the Assembly today.

The government has pledged a feasibility study to establish a community childcare centre at four locations: Ghorahi, Lumbini, Butwal, and Nepalgunj within the province.

On the occasion, the Province Chief said the concept aims to retain working women who are likely to quit their jobs after having a baby due to their prescribed roles of taking care of the child.

The province government assures of coming up with a 10-year strategy to combat early marriage and make the province free from child marriage by 2030 AD. It has announced to provide self-defense training for girls, establish a province-level child protection home, and so on.

Subsidy in agriculture based on production, modernization of agriculture with the use of technology, a feasibility study for the Budhha Touristic Circuit: Lumbini-Dhorpatan-Dunai-Jumla-Khalanga-Rara-Kankrebihar-Kohalpur-Lumbini', promotion of trans-province cooperation, construction of disabled-friendly roadways and the launch of a special drinking water programme at Koilabas point of Dang are among the announcements incorporated in the government plans and policies.

The government has pursued policies of discouraging migration from the hill to Terai by establishing model settlements within the villages, building a herb processing industry within the province, launching awareness programmes to minimize human-wildlife conflict, operating special classes for autistic children, and ensuring an internet facility for higher education students.

Similarly, it had pledged to recognise the mother tongue as an official language and manage air ambulance facilities for the rescue of expectant mothers.