Rehabilitation of freed haliyas stalled in Kanchanpur

Kanchanpur: The rehabilitation process of freed Haliyas in Kanchanpur remains incomplete, even after seven years of transferring the responsibility to the local level.

Chairman of the National Freed Haliya Society, Kanchanpur, Sivi Luhar, said that although the rehabilitation process had progressed during the existence of the Haliya Rehabilitation Problem Solving Committee, it came to a halt after the responsibility was handed over to the local level in 2076 BS.

“The local level was tasked with rehabilitating 161 freed Haliyas of category ‘A’, including constructing houses and purchasing land,” he said. “However, the work was interrupted due to the Corona pandemic. The funds sent by the central government were returned after expenses could not be managed, and no further budget was allocated afterward.”

According to Chairman Luhar, 723 freed Haliyas of categories ‘B’ and ‘C’ received the first installment but have not received the second. Many Haliya families continue to live in unsafe huts due to a lack of funds for house repairs. “The entire rehabilitation process has been stalled after the ministry stopped sending funds,” he said. “The freed Haliyas are still living difficult lives.”

Liberated Haliya leader Antaram Wad said that some of the 1,830 families who were rehabilitated have migrated to India due to a lack of employment. “Some have locked their homes and gone to India, while in some families only women, children, and the elderly remain,” he said.

Currently, 1,991 freed Haliyas in Kanchanpur have received identity cards. Among them, 394 are in category ‘A’, 799 in category ‘B’, 64 in category ‘C’, and 734 in category ‘D’. According to the Freed Haliya Society, while the rehabilitation process has been completed in Darchula and Bajhang districts of the far-west, it remains unfinished in other districts.