Bajura, March 24

A number of community-based study centres have been left in the lurch due to gross negligence on the part of the concerned authority in Bajura.

Of the 22 study centres set up by District Education Office Bajura, as many as 21 are on the verge of closing down ever since their establishment.

District headquarters Martadi-based Community Study Centre is the only centre in the district operating smoothly so far.

According to locals, the centres have been collecting dust due to extreme apathy on the part of the representatives of local parties and District Education Office.

The centres meant to raise educational awareness, make the ignorant literate and bring social reforms through income generating activities and skill enhancement programmes have been left in a lurch due to lack of monitoring, complained locals.

Deepak Rawat of Gudukhati VDC complained that the community centre in the locality didn’t come into operation after its inception. “Though there is a room and a sign board, it has never come into operation so far,” said Rawat.

Rawat, who is also a CPN-UML District Committee member, complained that the study centre did not host any programme in the locality but has been abusing state coffers by preparing fake documents.

According to the provision, each DEO provides a centre with Rs 50,000 annual budget and a community mobiliser. According to the office, the centres will be managed by the VDC and resource centres.

A community organisation also criticised that such centres were abusing state coffers, due to lack of proper monitoring.

“Some of the locals with political backing, present fake documents about

programmes and abuse state’s budget,” complained locals.