PLA personnel without salary for 11 months

Surkhet, July 28:

People’s Liberation Army (PLA) personnel in the sixth division at Dasharathpur in Surkhet have been devoid of their salaries for 11 months.

“As the government has not released funds, we are managing livelihood by taking loan,” division commander Tej Bahadur Oli alias Prateek said.

“The division has taken a loan of Rs 70 lakh to purchase ration and clothes for People’s Liberation Army personnel.”

Though each People’s Liberation Army personnel is entitled to Rs 1,800 per month for ration, he said the money is not sufficient due to the soaring price of essentials.

Around 4,000 People’s Liberation Army personnel live in the division and each soldier gets Rs 3,000 per months, Prateek said.

Meanwhile, some 30 People’s Liberation Army personnel in the division have been suffering from dysentery and typhoid due to the consumption of dirty water, Prateek said.

As drugs are in short supply in the division, the condition of children and mother People’s Liberation Army fighters is deteriorating.

He said that there are some 300 female People’s Liberation Army soldiers having children in the division.

The division commander said that the condition of the cantonment has not been improved, even though around two years have passed since the People’s Liberation Army personnel begun to stay there.

People’s Liberation Army personnel have been forced to stay in huts damaged by storm, Prateek said.

Some 15 People’s Liberation Army personnel have been putting up in each hut, he said. “Due to the dearth of mosquito nets, we have been facing trouble at nights.”

The government is not serious about paying salaries to People’s Liberation Army personnel, Prateek said.

The division commander warned that they would be forced to stage agitation if

the problem was not solved in a week.