“The Special Committee approved the time span needed for completing the categorization process,” said Maoist representative on the Special Committee Barshaman Pun, “The secretariat has sought three days to reach the cantonments and 12 days to carry out the task of giving voluntary retirement.” [break]
The Maoist representatives on the committee - Bhattarai and Pun - were reluctant to finalize the date despite demands by members representing the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML to start the process right from Saturday.
“We insisted that there was no reason for delay in starting the integration and rehabilitation process and wanted the process to begin from tomorrow [Saturday]. But the prime minister maintained that there was need for discussions over the date,” said Bhim Rawal, a member representing the CPN-UML, after the meeting of the Special Committee on Friday evening.
But Pun argued that the proposal prepared by the Special Committee secretariat was incomplete and they sought more time for the secretariat to come up with a complete calendar of events for integration.
However, Rawal said there was no need of such plan as the November 1 peace agreement had itself laid out the course of the integration process. “The agreement said that the Nepal Army will take responsibility for integration after the categorization is completed,” Rawal, who was involved in negotiating the deal, told Republica.
NC and CPN-UML representatives had expressed concern over what they said was deliberate delay by the government in forwarding the peace process. Rawal said they had raised this issue before the Maoists during the last meeting of top leaders in November. Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had then told NC and CPN-UML leaders that he would direct the government to forward the peace process with promptness.
Despite the differences, the members of the Special Committee decided to hold yet another meeting on Sunday in a bid to reach consensus on a final date for starting the voluntary retirement and integration process.
The members, however, were in consensus on finalizing the mode of payment to Maoist combatants opting for voluntary retirement.
“They will be paid through account payee checks. They will be asked to open accounts at the Agriculture Development Bank or Nepal Bank Limited or Nepal Rastra Bank,” said Pun, adding that the committee also decided to give pocket money to the combatants to cover their expenses while returning home.
In another decision, the members agreed not to hold a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of the voluntary retirement process though the Special Committee secretariat had suggested organizing a function.
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