Nepalnews.com Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd.

Government to introduce policy on IDP; HRCRU begins work

The government is mulling over a policy on the internally-displaced persons (IDP) due to the flaring conflict of the country.

Reports quoted secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, Dibakar Pant, as saying that the council of ministers would approve the policy on IDP in the next cabinet meeting, which could probably take place on Thursday.

He said that the Home Ministry had prepared the draft policy based on the guidelines of United Nations on internal displacement. According to UN guidelines, persons who are forced to leave their home and take refuge in other parts of the country due to conflict or natural calamities are defined as IDPs, who are identified and certified by a committee headed by Chief District Officer of the concerned district.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s special representative, Prof Walter Kalin, who visited Nepal last year, had also advised the government to prepare a policy on IDPs.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Central Registry Unit (HRCRU) started its work from Monday with its office in the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers at Singha Durbar.

Spokesperson at the PMO Purushottam Ojha told media persons at a press conference that with the set up of the HRCRU, it would be easier to keep records of all the people kept under detention or preventive detention and others who were set free from detention across the country. nepalnews.com pb Mar 07 06