Minister for Veterans and the Undersecretary of State for Defense Kevan Jones´ itinerary does not include meeting GAESO (Gurkha Army Ex-servicemen´s Organization) representatives here.
"The British Embassy has neither called us nor sent any letter to meet with the visiting minister," Krishna Kumar Rai, vice-chairman of GAESO told myrepublica.com. "We have not raised any major objection to this as we are waiting for the UK government to announce the new policy for us under the direction of the British High Court last September."
Rai, however, added that it would have been "fruitful" had Jones interacted with his organization which has played a leading role in bringing justice to the cause of the Gurkha ex-servicemen.
Jones, who arrived in Kathmandu Tuesday on a five-day visit, had said that he is here to address the issues concerning the British Gurkhas. The minister is set to visit British Gurkha camps in Pokhara and the Gurkha Welfare Trust. The embassy has said that he will meet Gurkha pensioners on Thursday and Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav on Friday.
At present, the British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is preparing to make a statement on April 24 to announce the new policy and reconsider the five leading Gurkha test cases under the new policy before May 7, Rai informed.
The British government is to also grant residence visas to the applicants by May 11 and hundreds of other outstanding cases would be considered by June 11, he added.
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