Kathmandu: Over 7,000 combatants of the
UCPN-Maoist, who opted for rehabilitation, will start leaving
the cantonments from Monday as per the directives of the
Special Committee for Integration and Rehabilitation of Maoist
combatants.
The Special Committee yesterday directed its Secretariat
to initiate the process of bidding farewell to those Maoist
combatants who have chosen to retire voluntarily within three
days, said Nepali Congress leader and member of the Special
Committee Ram Sharan Mahat.
Out of a total 19,000 Maoist ex-combatants confined in
seven cantonments across the country 7,365 fighters who have
chosen retirement scheme are entitled to get NRs 500,000 to
NRs 800,000 based on their ranks and services in People's
Liberation Army.
Those combatants who are wishing to join the national army
will be provided a bridge course for integration into the
security forces.
The rehabilitation and integration of the combatants is
the major task of the six-year long peace process.
After the voluntary retirement, the process of integration
of the Maoist combatants into security forces should begin as
quickly as possible, Mahat pointed out.
"The peace process has been delayed by the Maoists. If the
process to release and integrate the Maoist fighters fails to
gain momentum by mid-February, the state's liability for them
should be terminated," he said.
The government has been providing allowances to the Maoist
combatants for the past six years.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 21:55