KATHMANDU, SEP 09 - The government has decided to set up a separate unit for “bulk integration” of Madhesi people in national army.
Unveiling the relief programme at a press meet in the Capital on Friday, the government announced to start the recruitment process for the formation of a separate of unit of Madhesi community in Nepal Army (NA).
“As per the constitutional provision to develop Nepal Army as a democratic, national and inclusive institution, a fresh recruitment process would be initiated as part of the plan to form a separate unit for the identity of Madhesi people,” said Finance Minister Barsa Man Pun, reading out the Immediate Relief Programmes-2068 at a press conference in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu.
Prior to the formation of new government, the UCPN (Maoist) and Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) had agreed to form a separate unit of Madhesi community in order to develop the NA as an inclusive institution.
The SLMM—an alliance of five Madhes-based parties and a key coalition partner of the government—have been demanding to recruit 10,000 Madhesi people in NA for establishing the identity of Madhesi people.
Likewise, the government has decided to return all the properties that were seized during the insurgency, and has assured to create a high-level taskforce if there should arise any problem. “The local administration would be directed to return all the land (public and private) to the concerned. If any problem should arise in the process, the government would set up a high-level taskforce to study and rectify it,” reads the relief package.
The decision was taken by Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai as demanded earlier by Nepali Congress and CPN-UML.
The government has decided to hand over the relief packages to the families of those who were killed during the People’s War, People’s Movement, Madhesi Movement and other development movements before Dashain.
