Kathmandu, Feb 13: The government extended by two months the amnesty deadline for Maoist insurgents who surrender to authorities, Nepalese newspapers reported today. The Nepalese government, in an effort to induce Maoist cadres to give up violence, announced the amnesty two months ago. The original deadline expires today.
Under the scheme, apart from pardoning the Maoists, the government promised surrendering Maoists and their families rehabilitation, security and jobs.
The government promised at least two rehabilitation centres for surrendering Maoists. One of them was opened late last month at Dhakaltar of Tanahun district, about 130 kilometres south-west of the capital.
Nepalese home ministry spokesperson Gopendra Bahadur Pandey said the government extended the deadline in view of the ''encouraging'' response from the Maoists.
He said over 340 Maoists surrendered to government authorities under the amnesty scheme in the past two months.
The eight-year-old armed Maoist insurgency aimed at setting up a communist republic in Nepal has resulted in the killing of about 9,000 people. Bureau Report