Humla hostel worker's wages unchanged for 44 years

The cook at the government women's hostel in Simkot, the district headquarters of Humla, has been receiving the same pay for 44 years.

The hostel was established in 2039 BS, and the cook's monthly pay was fixed at Rs 6,000 from that time onward. Although it is a government hostel, the pay has never been raised because the concerned authorities have paid no attention to it.

Safalta Bohara, who currently works there, says she receives only Rs 6,000 a month. She says she has had to take the job despite the low wage because of unemployment.

Her work begins at 6 am and continues until 9 pm. Every day she cooks for 20 students, morning and evening, over an open fire. She is also responsible for washing dishes, cleaning, arranging drinking water and firewood, managing food grains, and cleaning the toilets.

Bohara has complained that while government employees' salaries have risen, her pay has not increased at all.

Hostel warden Reshamraj said the cook's pay is very low, but that he is unable to do anything about it. He said it is a failing of the concerned authorities that a contract worker's pay has not changed for so long.

Since the hostel was established, four cooks have worked there and left. Bohara has demanded that the concerned authorities review the pay.