Fifty-one former Kamlari students, who are living in a hostel at Deukhuri in the district, are left in the lurch as the Department of Education (DoE) has not released funds for them for the past five months.

The government has been releasing Rs 3,000 each to former Kamlari students living in hostels for various purposes like food and accommodation. Without money, they are finding it hard to manage food and stationery materials. “We have not received the government aid since we shifted to Dang five months ago. We do not have money to purchase stationery materials and other essentials,” Nirmala Tharu, a 10th grader living in the hostel run by Bal Janata Higher School, said.

The affected students said some of them are ailing and that they lack money for treatment. Bhairab Bahadur Chaudhary of the hostel said that the students could not even pay bills of an ambulance used to transport two former Kamlari students from the hostel to hospital for treatment. Hostel warden Kalpana Chaudhary said they are managing foodstuffs on credit.

She, however, said they have not paid the amount to the shopkeeper for the past six months. 

“We are struggling to feed the Kamlari students,” she said. “The School Leaving Certificate examination is approaching nearer. We are worried about preparing for the examination as we do not even have sufficient stationery materials.”

Om Prakash Neupane, under-secretary at the District Education Office, said they have requested the DoE to release budget for the former Kamlaris.