Damak, September 15:

More than 300 fighters of the 1st division of the Maoist People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have fled the camp at Chulachuli for want of basic facilities. As many PLA fighters have fled the sub-camps here.

According to the Maoist camp headquarters sour-ces, 3,221 PLA fighters were verified in the first phase. The number of verified PLA soldiers in sub-camps was 800. Only 500 fighters were verified in the second phase. Hundreds of PLA fighters have fled the sub-camps at Tandi, Yangsila of Morang district and Danabari sub-camp of Ilam district. Maoist sources said they deserted after their hopes of integrating in the Nepal Army faded and they did not get promised salary.

Division commander Parwana at the PLA’s Kamaljhoda headquarters admitted that some PLA soldiers had left.

“Many of the PLA soldiers are on home leave. It will take time for them to return. We cannot term it as desertion,” he said.

He said PLA soldiers were living in straitened circumstances in the camps, without basic facilities.

In a press meet today, Parwana said the PLA soldiers were reduced to two meals a day and that they did not have even the basic facilities due to a human being.

“The PLA soldiers should get facilities equal to the Nepal Army,” he added. “There is no clean drinking water. It is difficult to even exist,” he added. He warned that if the government did not heed their complaints they would be forced to leave the camps and stage agitations.

He said the division had sent several letters to the district administration in this regard but nothing had been done.