KATHMANDU, May 20 - The government has agreed to provide Rs. 3,000 a month to each of the Maoist combatants.
A ministerial-level meeting of the Cantonment Management Committee Sunday evening also decided to begin the second phase of the verification process of the Maoist People's Liberation Army soon.
"The meeting held at the prime minister's residence this evening decided to provide Rs. 3,000 a month to the Maoists fighters as a pocket money," Ram Chandra Poudel, minister for Peace and Reconstructions told ekantipur.
The minister, who also chairs the ministerial-level committee formed to work out better plans for the upkeep of PLA, said that the cabinet meeting likely to be held on Monday would formally approve today's decision.
"During the meeting, the ministers representing the Maoist in the interim government, also agreed to immediately begin the process of returning the public properties seized during the conflict," Poudel said.
Minister for Information and Communications Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Finance Minister Dr Ram Saran Mahat, and Minister for Physical Planning and Works Hisila were also present at the meeting.
The government has so far allocated Rs 1.8 billion for the management of Maoist cantonments.
On Saturday, Maoist Chairman Prachanda had warned of a "massive agitation" if the government did not reach a concrete decision on the PLA camp management.
Prachanda had expressed his dissatisfaction over the government's failure to take responsibility for the upkeep and management of the Maoist combatants despite the peace accords till date stipulating so.
Earlier this morning, Prime Minister President Girija Prasad Koirala and Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party (NMKP) Chairman Narayan Man Bijukche Sunday morning had discussed the obstacles in registering the PLA combatants and fighters.
PM Koirala said that PLA camps can be managed effectively only after all the PLA fighters and arms are registered, according to Bijukche.
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