Govt initiates dialogue with armed outfits

(Updated with correction)

KATHMANDU, March 30: The government has started dialogues with several armed outfits in the wake of series of bomb blasts in the recent days carried out by some unknown groups operating mainly in Tarai-based and other districts.



Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Barshaman Pun said some of the outfits are in contact with the government. The minister however said he wouldn´t disclose the number and names of the groups for the obvious reasons sensitivity.[break]



He said the government has categorized the groups, which are involved in violent activities, into two groups -- political and criminal.



"The government will hold dialogues only with the outfits which are active for certain political goals but we won´t talk to the criminal groups," Pun told journalists at his ministry Tuesday. He said the government would tackle the criminal groups by stepping up strict security measures.



Pun also made public updated details about the progress made by the ministry in connection with providing compensation to the conflict-affected people and reconstruction of the physical infrastructure destroyed during the insurgency.



The minister said altogether 17,265 people lost their lives in the conflict and that the government provided compensations to 13,538 kin of the deceased. "In the current fiscal year, we plan to pay compensations to another 2,283 kin of the deceased," he said.

Progress on Reparation and Rehabilitation
Cases	Total	Made reparation	To receive this fiscal year	Remaining
Deceased	17265	13538	2283	1444
Abduction	1438	221	998	219
Disappearance	1302	1197	105	-
Disabled	4305	1297	2500	508
Loss in private property	12657	1463	1350	9844
Displaced	78675	28000	-	50675
Orphaned	121	-	121	-

He said of the total 5,560 physical infrastructures destroyed in the insurgency, altogether 1,968 were reconstructed. So far, the government has spent Rs 3.7 billion and allocated Rs 2.44 billion in the current budget for reconstruction and compensation purposes.



The ministry said 44 minefields out of the total 53 have been cleared so far and the remaining will be cleared within the current fiscal year.



The ministry said it has formed peace committees at 900 villages in 72 of the total 75 districts.

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