Nepali Congress top leaders lodged their objection to the government decision during their meeting with Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday while the CPN-UML expressed its concern by issuing a statement. The government on Sunday hiked the allowance of the ex-Maoist combatants by Rs 1,500 effective from mid-July. [break]
"We raised the issue of the hike in the allowance of the combatants," NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel said, adding, "The decision should have been taken in the Special Committee."
The ex-combatants are under the command and control of the Special Committee headed by the prime minister and represented by major political parties and two Madhesi parties.
Issuing a statement, CPN-UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel said the decision "taken without even consulting the Special Committee" has breached the code of conduct on command, control and direction of the ex-Maoist combatants.
Saying that the hike in the allowance of the ex-Maoist combatants was not included in the budget, CPN-UML said the decision indicates that the government is not sincere to the calls to complete the peace process as soon as possible.
In the meantime, Nepali Congress leaders have once again rejected the Maoist leaders´ call to begin categorization of ex-Maoist combatants by finalizing rehabilitation package.
"We told them that such a step cannot be taken without consulting the secretariat [under the Special Committee]," said Paudel.
NC has been rejecting the Maoist request to start categorization immediately, saying all the issues related to the peace process should be settled before starting categorization.
Even the secretariat under the Special Committee has maintained that parties should have an agreement on modality of integration and rehabilitation and rank harmonization before starting categorization.
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