Nepalmonitor

Incident Reports

Dalits accuse VDC Secretary of embezzling fund in Baitadi

2015-09-17

The dalit families of Talldehi VDC-3 have claimed that they were deprived of the services by the VDC. They said that the VDC had not brought any program on education or health among others for the community of 64 Dalit families of the VDC. They also said that they had not received the money allocated by the Village Council. They claimed the bias in a complaint filed at the District Administration Office on September 17. The Village Council had allocated Rs 51,000 last fiscal year to work for the health issues among Dalits of the VDC. Dalit activists claimed that the VDC said that the money would be provided a donation to the Dalits to support them build toilets to make their settlement open defecation free zone, however, the money was spent somewhere else. A local Dale Parki claimed that VDC secretary Dambar Bahadur Bishta was involved in the embezzlement of the fund. Bishtha, however, claimed that the money was handed over to users' committee chairperson Dhaule Parki and that money was used to purchase 20 toilet seats and that the remaining seats would be brought soon. Saying that a complaint with the signature of 64 people would mean that the DAO would be investigating the claim, CDO Liladhar Adhikari said. The Dalit community of 64 households of Talladehi VDC-3 informed that the VDC has deprived their community of services. Contrary to the decision of the council, the VDC has provided education for the local Dalit community. They are angry that no program has been held in any field including health. Stating that they have not received the amount allocated by the village council, the local Dalit community has lodged a complaint at the District Administration Office on September 16. In the last fiscal year, the VDC council had allocated Rs 51,000 to work in the health sector in the Dalit community. According to the plan to make the local Dalit community open, the village council has promised to pay for the purchase of toilet seats, but the VDC has spent the money elsewhere, said the Dalit leaders. The local party claimed that the work was done elsewhere due to irregularities in the allocated amount. According to the local parki, the amount was embezzled through the connivance of VDC secretary Damwar Bahadur Bista. VDC Secretary Bista has allocated the amount for the Dalit community.

Governance

Details and Impacts

Violent / Non-violent	Nonviolent
Primary Form	Other forms of non-violent protest
Primary Cause	Issues related to the delivery of government aid programs (e.g. earthquake rehab/recon)
Actor 1 - Number of people	n/a
Actor 1 - Affiliations	Local authorities (incl VDC, district, gov. line agencies at local level except education and health)
Actor 1 - Youth	na
Actor 2 - Number of people	64
Actor 2 - Affiliation (Target)	Dalit
Actor 2 - Youth	na