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Nepal

Nepal: Joint team inspects Maoist camp in Kailali

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Nov. 14: The joint team of government, CPN-Maoist and the United Nations Tuesday inspected the Maoist camp at Talban of Musariya VDC-2, where the Maoists have proposed to set up cantonment to keep their arms and militia.

The site lies 45-km east to the district headquarters Dhangadhi and three hours walk from Musariya.

The 21-member team included UN militray advisor General William Sun, the government talks team member and State Minister for Labour and Transport Ramesh Lekhak, three Maoist deputy commanders ? Nanda Kishor Pun 'Pasang', Janardan Sharma 'Prabhakar' and Baldev , Inspector General of Police Amar Singh Shah, Deputy Inspector of Armed Police Kishor Lama and lieutenant colonel Shiva Ram Pradhan.

UN military advisor Sun said that the proposed site was appropriate to establish the cantonment but did not elaborate whether the team would approve the place for the purpose.

The UN expert also inquired about the facilities such as the access of road, water supply, electricity and health post with the Maoist Seventh Division Commander Mahendra Shahi Prajwal and Division Commissar Bhakta Bahadur Shah Uddhav. He also held discussion with the Maoist militia with the help of interpreter.

He asked about the number of militia to be kept in the cantonment and auxiliary camps, and distance between them.

Division commander Prajwal informed that the cantonment and the auxiliary camps would each contain 2,500 militia.

About the three tributary camps, the Maoist side has proposed to station the Lokesh Smriti Brigade under the command of Santosh at Musariya; Lisnegram Brigade under the command of Saugat at Sahajpur of Kailali and Bahubir Yoddha Smriti Brigade under the command of Janak Bista Kuber at Gaurangi of Baliya VDC in Kailali instead of previously proposed Barchhen of Barchhen VDC in Doti.

Talking with the media people, State Minister Lekhak said that the government was working to implement the agreement reached between the Seven-Party Alliance and the CPN-Maoist in the given timeframe.

Maoist deputy commanders Pasang and Prabhakar said that the team would select Talban of Musariya for the cantonment as they received positive response from the UN official.

Technicians from the offices of the Water Supply, the Nepal Electricity Authority and the Road Department from Dhangadhi and Mahendra Nagar had surveyed the proposed sites on Sunday.

The team reached Talban at 10:00 this morning from Nepalgunj and took one hour to inspect it. It also inspected the Maoist camp in Surkhet today.