They combatants claimed that they had been promoted twice since the verification by UNMIN in 2007, and declined to receive the checks made out to them as per their ranks recorded back then, saying it amounted to humiliation. [break]
In Sindhuli, Shambhu Prasad Devkota, who was battalion vice-commander in 2007 and has now been promoted to brigade vice-commander, claimed that he should get Rs 600,000, and when officials gave him a check for Rs 500,000 he asked his colleagues to boycott the whole process.
"Is it the right thing for the government to provide cash relief as per my rank five years ago?" asked Devkota.
The voluntary retirement package for the combatants differs according to their rank. As per the inter-party agreement, division commanders and division vice-commanders are entitled to Rs 800,000, brigade commanders and vice-commanders to Rs 700,000, battalion commanders to company vice-commanders, Rs 600,000, and platoon commanders and below, Rs 500,000.
Following a disruption for two hours, the process resumed after it was agreed not to deal with the cases of those who were promoted after 2007. Division Commander Suk Bahadur Roka said there are 45 PLA personnel who will receive Rs 100,000 less because of the inter-party deal. Altogether 32 combatants have so far received their checks for voluntary retirement.
At the Fourth Division in Nawalparasi and Third Division at Shaktikhor, the process was disrupted for three hours over the same issue, but resumed after an agreement was reached to take up the disputed cases later. It is not clear how many combatants received the checks at these two cantonments.
At the Seventh Division in Kailali, 114 personnel received the checks on Saturday. The process began only on Saturday as the government officials did not reach there on Friday.
Similarly, the process at the First Division in Ilam began on Saturday due to technical reasons. Altogether 95 combatants received their checks.
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