A meeting of the Special Committee held at its Secretariat in New Baneshwar on Friday announced dissolution of the body effective from Saturday as decided by a meeting of the High Level Police Committee (HLPC) held earlier in the morning.[break]
“The committee was formed as per the Article 146 of the Interim Constitution 2007 for transitional management of the former Maoist combatants. The dissolution of the committee marks successful conclusion of one of the important components of the peace process,” said Special Committee member Dr Minendra Rijal.
The committee will automatically dissolve with its extended term expiring on Saturday. Interim Council of Ministers in January, 2007 had formed the committee for transitional management of the cantoned Maoist combatants. A separate technical committee of experts was also formed under the committee to facilitate integration and rehabilitation process in line with the provisions set in the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) and in the Interim Constitution.
With the appointment of the retired NA Lieutenant General Bala Nanda Sharma as its coordinator in January, 2007, the committee comprising political leaders of major parties initially started overseeing management of over 32,000 Maoist combatants living in various seven main and 21 satellite cantonments in different parts of the country. The number, however, came down after the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) verified only 19,602 combatants, disqualifying 4,008 “minor” combatants, who were released from the cantonments in early 2010.
The long-stalled army integration and rehabilitation process had gained momentum only in early 2012 with the decision of the Maoists to regroup the “verified” combatants opting for rehabilitation, integration and voluntary retirement. While only six combatants opted for rehabilitation, 9,000-plus chose integration. The 7,000 combatants who chose voluntary retirement were released from the cantonments.
But as there was agreement between the parties to limit the number of Maoist combatants for integration to 6,500, those opting for integration were again regrouped after the NA took over all 15 cantonments, including the seven main cantonments that housed the remaining combatants on April 10. At this time, only 1,462 were selected for integration in the national army.
Integration of the Maoist combatants in the army witnessed another hitch as parties remained at odds on the issue related to the ranks of the Maoist combatants joining the NA. The committee could settle the issue with the four major parties agreeing last month in the 11-point political deal to allow 71 officer-level posts, including one colonel and two lieutenant colonels, to the Maoist combatants undergoing NA training.
“The management of former Maoist combatants was full of challenges. Our foreign friends were watching anxiously whether we could accomplish the tasks on our own. We have proved that we are capable enough of solving our problems on our own,” remarked another Special Committee member Bhim Rawal. He said the Special Committee will now automatically be dissolved with the extended term of the Committee expiring on Saturday.
The last meeting of the Special Committee on Friday also decided to provide Rs 255,000 each to 47 former Maoist combatants, who have decided to quit NA training. The decision to provide the amount was made on “humanitarian grounds”, according to Special Committee members.
Rawal said the meeting also decided to recommend the government to appoint Bala Nanda Sharma to coordinate management of the former Maoists combatants until they complete their basic training in NA. Sharma has also been entrusted with preparing a record on former Maoists combatants to the government.
Despite reservation from the UCPN (Maoist), the meeting chaired by former Prime Minister and Maoist Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattarai also decided to ask the Office of the Auditor General to probe into all the expenses made for the management of the cantonments.
Related story
Awareness about special needs education low in Nepal: Prof Jung
