Rural municipality offers incentives to boost local population

Published On: August 7, 2018 06:39 AM NPT By: Bhagiswar Limbu

TEHRATHUM, Aug 7: Worried over the increasing migration of locals to the southern plains, Chhatar Rural Municipality has announced a Rs 100,000 cash award to each family moving into the local unit, along with an additional grant of Rs 500,000 for starting a new business.

The move is an attempt to stop local residents from moving out and encourage others to move in. The local unit had introduced several programs in the past also to control outward migration, but in vain. The cash incentive has been introduced this time as a new idea.

Santosh Tegela, chairperson of the rural municipality, informed that the second village assembly of the local unit took this decision so as to encourage people to move to Chhatar. This will ultimately increase the local population and increase the skilled work force, which is essential for development, according to Tegela.

The announcement by Chhatar Rural Municipality has been widely welcomed by people living in other places also. Some other local units have started adopting the same policy.

Chhatar Rural Municipality has allocated Rs 1 million for the first level of this program, informed Rajan Nepali, spokesperson of the local unit. The program is also expected to help families wandering about in search of job opportunities. Local representatives claim that it will also help increase the pool of entrepreneurs and raise incomes.

The local unit is likewise trying to create an environment for locals who migrated out of here to return home. As lack of drinking water has been the major reason for out-migration, the local unit plans to bore for water in future. It has also started coordinating with the provincial government to lift water from the Tamor River for distribution in places where there is no source of water.

The rural municipality has also sanctioned a budget for agriculture and animal husbandry. The villages here are known for milk, milk products and vegetables and the rural municipality has announced special grants to encourage the farmers as well.

The total population of Chhatar Rural Municipality is currently 16,750. Local representatives aim to increase this by 20 percent in the next 10 years.