The story of a 70-year-old street worker

DHANKUTA: SEPT. 13 – Ram Bahadur Bhujel reached 70 years of age. He was busy working near Patle Khola of Dhankuta Municipality Ward No. 6 around 8 am on Monday.

He had a spade and a shovel in his hand. The diary of Bhujel, who was found cleaning up on this shore of the Koshi Highway, is street cleaning. He said that he had to do all the work on the road as a road labourer. Although he is from Ramechhap, he is a length worker working in the Patle area. Saying that he has reached 70 years of age, he has been working in this way since 2061 BS.

In 2038 BS, at the age of 16, he left his district and came to Dhankuta. He came to Dhankuta with a brother from the village in search of work. Initially, he used to work in Mohan’s biscuit factory. After that, he left the factory and started working in the garden. “I was hired by boss to work in the garden instead of the factory,” he said.

While working in the same garden, the squatters started building houses in the settlement even though they were given land for the squatters nearby. He now lives in a room in the same house, giving the house to his daughter-in-law.

His birthplace is Duragaon of Ramechhap. He said that he kept his family in Ramechhap as there was no one to take care of his parents’ house while he was working in Dhankuta. 4 sisters daughter one brother son, but they have no one to turn to. Bhujel tells that he is living in a room by giving the house he has built to his youngest daughter.

He started working with a salary of Rs 6,000 in 2061 BS and now, after 17 years, he is getting a monthly salary of Rs 21,000. Bhujel said that he has to work for 8 hours daily from 8 am to 3 pm. “Sometimes I am bored. Body pains a lot in times of rains”, he said, “We are kept in prison. Neither they put us permanently nor they release us. They should have released by giving a little allowance.”

Baidar used to keep his attendant and Bhujel said that sometimes it feels bad when the bosses come and abuse him. He said that it will be 3 kilometres in his part and Patle village was his area of ​​responsibility.

He has the experience of covering the distance of three kilometres with a bush again and cleaning it from above. Bhujel, who has been working to clear bushes, fill potholes and prevent landslides, says he is proud to be an employee of the road department.

The hope of gratitude

Such road workers found working on the Koshi Highway are called length workers. According to the Road Division Office, Dhankuta, there are about 50 length workers in the 136 Kilometers stretch from Bhedetar to Tutedeurali in Dhankuta.

Chief of the office Dan Kumar Shakya said that as per the arrangement of having one length worker for every 3 km, about 50 length workers worked in 136 km. There is a situation where even one person has worked at a distance of 2 km in someplace.

According to Shakya, the number of people who have spent 70 years in Dhankuta is very low. There is no age limit for those working on the road, he said that although there are fewer than 70 years of age in Dhankuta, there are length workers up to 80 years in East and Biratnagar. Chief Shakya said they were waiting for the government to provide some subsidy. “It is hoped that the state will provide some services,” he said.