Four orphaned children in the Tamghas area have been rescued under the leadership of the Resunga Municipality. Among the rescued children is a girl who is a survivor of rape, and it has been reported that INSEC had provided her with financial assistance.
According to Kalpana Pandey, Head of the Women and Children Section and Assistant Women Development Officer at Resunga Municipality, the four children, who had been begging on the streets for a long time, have been sent to the Child Search and Coordination Provincial Center in Jitgadhi, Butwal, through the National Child Welfare Council in Pulchowk, Lalitpur. “After efforts to provide protection within the district were unsuccessful, we had to seek support from external institutions,” she said.
The children were rescued jointly by representatives of the municipality and the center. Additionally, a guardian of one of the children, who claimed to be from Baglung, has been sent to the Human Service Ashram in Butwal, Pandey informed.
The activities of street children have increased public concern and criticism in the market area. Complaints have been rising about begging, damage to public infrastructure, and involvement in theft. However, due to the lack of long-term and effective protection, the problem remains unresolved, said Amrita Devi Kunwar, Deputy Mayor of Resunga Municipality.
In the Budhathoki Bus Park area of Tamghas, around 15–17 children from laboring families who work as daily wage earners have been coming onto the streets. Efforts such as school enrollment, temporary shelter, and distribution of clothing have been made, but the issue has not been resolved. Recently, a nine-year-old girl was seriously injured after falling in a park in Lankurimanch, and her treatment was also supported by INSEC.
According to the District Police Office, Gulmi, two orphaned girls were victims of rape last year. DSP Ganga Bahadur Saru stated that the risks of crime and substance abuse among children are increasing and emphasized the urgent need for long-term solutions.
Journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society have repeatedly drawn attention to the need for child rights protection. Advocate Hira Kunwar, who has been practicing at the District Court, Gulmi, stated that all stakeholders must come together to prevent children from being drawn into crime.
According to Dron Khatri, Chief of the District Coordination Committee, a comprehensive plan including housing, food, recreation, and security is necessary to address the issue. “If the government does not focus on building shelters or other structures, temporary measures alone will not solve the problem,” he warned.