NGO charged with misusing funds meant for ex-Haliyas

DADELDHURA, Aug 27: The freed Haliyas or the erstwhile bonded farm laborers in the district have charged an organization, which was set up to rehabilitate and uplift them, with misappropriating funds meant for their welfare.



Rastriya Haliya Mukti Samaj Mahasangh (RHMSM) has allegedly been spending the money meant for the emancipated Haliyas in organizing seminars and workshops in various star-rated hotels in Kathmandu.



RHMSM which was established -shortly after the government decided to emancipate the Haliyas in September 2008-with the aim to improve the socioeconomic status of the victims of a system of agricultural bonded labor mainly prevalent in the far-western region of the country. [break]



The freed Haliyas have blamed that some non-Haliyas has been siphoning off the budget received for their uplift. “Millions of rupees are being poured annually into programs aimed at helping the former Haliyas. But only some non-haliyas are making hay out of it,” said Jayabahadur Luhar, one of the freed laborers.

Some influential people in the district have been blamed of swindling RHMSM budget for their personal benefits.

“RHMSM, which has to work in Dadeldhura, has set up its office in Kathmandu. No wonder the condition of the real Haliyas is pathetic even after six years of emancipation,” said Bijaya Karki, another freed Haliya.



Devoid of any rehabilitation package even after years of emancipation, the plight of Guje Parki, a former Haliya, is not over yet.

Parki neither has any place to take refuge nor does he have any employment to eke out a living. “We earned freedom but none has extended their hands for our rehabilitation,” Parki complained. The condition of the freed Haliyas in the district has been getting worse over the years.

The 71 families of freed Haliyas in Dadeldhura are left in the lurch. They have been doing rounds of the district headquarters in search for work to make the ends meet.



They have been demanding rehabilitation but to no avail. However, instead of implementing programs in the far-western region, RHMSM has been spending millions of rupees in organizing seminars in five star hotels in Kathmandu.

“RHMSM has done nothing for the welfare of the freed Haliyas,” said former Haliya, Haruwa Sarki, adding that RHMSM has conducted not a single program in Dadeldhura in the last one and a half year.



As per the government data, there are more than 40,000 former Haliyas in Dadeldhura, Baitadi, Bajhang, Darchula and Bajura districts in the region.

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