Legal Assistance Desk to be established in Quake affected districts

Kathmandu, May 29: The Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) Nepal is to set up the Legal Assistance Desk in the earthquake affected districts.

Speaking at the 20th Anniversary of the Forum, Chairperson Mira Dhungana said the desk will be set up in the 14 districts that are worst-hit by the April 25 earthquake and aftershocks. The Forum has been working for women’s rights for the last 20 years.

The forum would establish the desks in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kavrepalanchowk, Sindhupalchowk, Gorkha, Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Dolakha, Makawanpur and Okhaldhunga districts. “The quake victims could take any legal help from the desks for the relief to be provided by the State,” she said.

Sapana Malla, founding member of the Forum, said the forum has decided to build schools at Deuchuli of Nawalparasi district and Bungmati of Kathmandu.

Executive Director of the organization Sabin Shrestha said the forum has decided to deposit Rs 125,000 in the Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund increasing the award amount of the Laxman Aryal Memorial Journalism Award by Rs 100,000. The award carries the purse of Rs 25,000 and is distributed every year.

The forum also distributed Rs 100,000 as scholarship to Ranjeeta, daughter of Raviraj Bhandari, who died in the recent earthquake.