More than two-and-a-half years after the government freed Nepal's bonded labourers, reports say more than double the number of kamaiyas counted by the Ministry of Land Reform in its initial records have been left out. This was revealed after the ministry began recounting those kamaiyas left out from its records following an outcry by various organisations. It is a prime example of the government's carelessness. Following the ministry's re-call for applications by kamaiyas, 1,834 kamaiyas living in Banke district registered their names at the district land reform office. Previously, the Ministry of Land had published the details of 1,342 kamaiya families in Banke district. The ministry had extended the application dates until 23 October. Since the present number of kamaiyas is more than twice the first count, the ministry will certainly face problems in rehabilitating them. It still hasn't solved the problems of those registered initially. A large number of kamaiyas have also been left out from the government's lists in the districts of Bardiya, Kanchanpur, Kailali and Dang, but the real figure is not known. Banke Land Reform Officer Him Bahadur Budathoki is not prepared to accept the new numbers of kamaiyas. He said: 'we can't accept those figures until after an investigation is carried out'.

The identity paper of a freed kamaiya hoping to get land.