Talking to mediapersons at his office, Minister Rawal said, “We will provide security to banks, and also businessmen who want to open their business,” he said. He, however, said no banks had approached him with such a request.[break]
Most banks have shut their branch offices and ATM outlets in Kathmandu and other parts of the country due to security threats. On Tuesday, banking sector had urged the Maoist leadership to allow them to conduct limited-hour banking transactions during the strike.
Minister Rawal said Ministry of Finance and Nepal Rastra Bank have already been asked to allow Nepal Bank Limited and Rastriya Banijya Bank to smoothly run their services. “We will soon talk to the concerned parties and take a decision as to how we can assure security to banks and financial institutions,” he said.
The Home Ministry has also expressed its readiness to help Maoist cadres who have been left stranded in the capital. “We held informal discussions on whether we can help the needy through neutral organizations like Red Cross,” he said. “However, we have not taken any decision yet.”
He also claimed that the government is discussing plans to ensure supply of food grains, cooking gas, vegetables and fruits to the people of Kathmandu. Kathmandu has begun facing shortage of cooking gas, medicines, green vegetables and other daily essentials.
Urging the agitating Maoists to withdraw their strikes keeping in view the hardship faced by common people, Rawal said the Maoists first need to be clear whether they want to change the entire system or the government. “If they want to change the government then they should follow constitutional means,” he said.
Rawal argued that the deadlock would be resolved easily if the Maoists agreed to find way out of the problem through Interim Constitution, Comprehensive Peace Accord and other agreements reached in the past.
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