A meeting of the cabinet on Monday decided to address all the demands of the Tharu community on a negotiating table.
"The issues like declaring martyrs, providing compensation to injured ones can be done right away," said Minister for Physical Planning and Works Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, emerging out of the meeting. "But there are other serious issues like amending the constitution and revoking the ordinance, for which the Tharu community should sit with the government on a negotiating table."
The meeting decided to provide a draft of the appeal to the Tharu community before making it public.
"We would like to know whether the appeal addresses the language and spirit of the Tharu community," said Minister for Science and Technology Ganesh Sah after the meeting.
The Tharu organizations have been hitting the street for the past two weeks demanding that the government withdraw recently promulgated Some Public Service Operation Ordinance that has listed 22 indigenous groups from the southern plains under Madhesi category. They are also demanding that the government declare the two people killed in Chitwan as martyrs, and provide compensation to their family and treat the injured.
On the issue of establishing a regional university in far-western region of the country, the meeting decided to form a committee under the coordination of joint secretary at Education Ministry to recommend an appropriate location.
During the meeting, the ministers drew the attention of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal over alleged torture meted out to president of Reporters Club Nepal Rishi Dhamala during his detention.
Considering the hard times for industrialists and farmers due to increasing hours of load-shedding, the meeting decided to provide subsidy in diesel to the industries and farmers.
The meeting also discussed forming an industrial security force. However, it didn´t hold a detailed discussion over the issue.
Several political parties including main opposition Nepali Congress have stressed that the combatants from the Maoists´ People´s Liberation Army (PLA) be restructured as industrial security force. The Maoists, on the other hand, are rooting for their fighters´ integration into Nepali Army.
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