KATHMANDU: The former Maoist combatants who have opted for integration into the Nepal Army have been assigned with military responsibility from today formally.

All of them except the officer ones would take responsibility of their job after completing the seven-month-long basic military training.

The former combatants were in training since December 2012 in different brigades of the Nepal Army. Nepal Army is organizing a special function to hand over their responsibility, it is said. A total of 1,352 army personnel will be given the responsibility from today. Training for officer level cadets is still going on and would continue for two months more.

KATHMANDU: The Nepal Army has said that 71 of the former Maoist combatants have qualified for the officers level while 1,373 are undergoing training for integration for JCOs and other ranks into the national army.

The former combatants passing the officers level training would be granted the post of lieutenant. The personnel for officers’ level will undergo a 9-months training while others will have to be follow seven months training.

Likewise, others will undergo training as per the level and seniority of the combatants integrating into the Nepal Army.

Combatants integrating into the NA will undergo three months of special training.

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s ruling UCPN Maoist’s former people’s liberation army (PLA) have expressed dissatisfaction of the selection of some of their ‘tainted’ comrades in the party’s top decision making body.

The dissatisfaction came minutes before the the seventh general convention of the party in the post war era announced a 98 member jumbo central committee unanimously-skipping the ballot box.

Some of the disgruntled former Maoist fighters claimed that some leaders were selected for the top mechanism even though they were accused of graft and moreover some had resigned from the party following disciplinary action from the party.

Former PLA commander Santu Darai (aka Parwana), Tej Bahadur Oli (Prateek), Dhan Bahadur Maskey (Rajesh) and Kali Bahadur Kham (Bibidh) were accused of graft during the party’s earlier Bhirkutimandap meet.

However these former commanders who were accused of slashing off the pay of ex-PLA’s retirement allowance were picked up by the party in its central body on Saturday before concluding.

Though some of the party leaders had protested against the decision and demanding action against them during the party’s closed session, the party leadership nominated them to the central committee, irking those demanding justice.

12 commanders of the PLAs had resigned in the Bhirkuti Mandap after PLAs cantoned across various cantonments had accused them of embezzling millions of funds released by the government as salary and compensation for the PLAs residing in the cantonments and opting for voluntary retirement.

The party had formed an investigation panel in the leadership of Maoist leader Post Bahadur Bogati to investigate the accusations that pointed the involvement of the senior leadership of the party too.

On Friday, Bogati had presented his investigation report in the party’s closed session, but majority of lower rung of the party cadres had slammed it claiming it covered all the corrupts and was impartial.

KATHMANDU: The District Administration Office (DAO), Chitwan, has started distributing the cheques of the second installment to the former PLA combatants remaining in Shaktikhor cantonment.

The Maoist combatants would receive Rs. 250,000 to Rs. 400,000 as per their ranks and positions, said Balananda Sharma, Coordinator of the Army Integration Special Committee Secretariat.

Former Maoist combatants have thronged at DAO, Chitwan, in large numbers to receive their second installment. As many as 2,722 former Maoist combatants were at Shaktikhor based cantonment.

A six-member team led by Sharma has been deployed for the distribution of the cheques and started the task since 10:00 am on Wednesday.

The former PLA combatants have already received half of the amount in the first installment. The Secretariat of the Committee has the target of concluding the task by November 10 to all the 13,922 former combatants remaining in seven cantonments and some satellite camps. RSS

Amounts will be distributed half of the total amount to 13,922 combatants choosing voluntary retirement, said Officiating Secretary of the Special Committee Secretariat,  Madhubilas Pandit.

Team left for each district from the capital today and will set up desk and distribute from October 31, he said.He said a team led by Secretariat Convener Balananda Sharma has arrived here in Chitwan. RSS