Govt circular to return seized properties

KATHMANDU, Sept 14: The government has issued a circular to the Maoist cadres to vacate the government buildings occupied by them and to return the properties seized by the party during the insurgency.



Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai took a decision to this effect in response to the demand by the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML to implement the past agreements.[break]



“A written circular has been issued to vacate the captured public buildings and properties,” said Bhattarai´s principal advisor Devendra Poudel.



The party hard-line faction is against the return of seized properties.



Poudel claimed the government decision, however, is in accordance with the mandate of the party standing committee meeting held last August and vowed to implement it.



“It is natural to have doubts over the implementation of the government decision as conflicting views from within the party have come out into the open. But the move has been taken in accordance with the party decision,” said Poudel at a press meet held to make public the prime minister´s move.



According to him, the government would form a coordination committee under the peace ministry and subordinate coordination committees at district levels to monitor the implementation of the decision.



During the insurgency, the Maoists had seized the properties of local “cheats, feudal lords, and oppressors” and chased them away.



PM talks with Indian envoy over court verdicts



Prime Minister Bhattarai on Tuesday met Indian ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad at his office and inquired about the punishment in abstentia slapped by the Patna High court on 10 Nepali Maoists.



“The prime minister has taken the initiative to solve the problem diplomatically. He invited the Indian envoy to his office and held talks on the issue,” said Poudel.



Strike on six varsities called off



Agitating teachers at six different universities have called off their protest following talks with the prime minister. They had been protesting the appointment of vice-chancellors at seven universities by the Jhalanatath Khanal-led government.



Of the seven universities, the teachers at Sanskrit University are yet to withdraw their protest.



“The appointments made by the previous government were flawed,” said Poudel. According to him, the government would table a bill in parliament that would allow the government to appoint only qualified and competent professors as the vice-chancellors of the universities.

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