Palace denies taking ‘royalty’ from UK for sending Gurkhas

The Royal Palace has refuted media reports that quoted some former British Gurkha servicemen saying that the palace had been receiving one million pound sterling annually from the British Defence Ministry for sending Nepali youths in the British Army.

Citing a press communiqué issued by the Press Secretariat of the Royal Palace on Monday, the state-run Radio Nepal said the reports that the palace had been getting ‘royalty’ from the British Defence Ministry were baseless and biased.

The release also said the Royal Palace and the King had no involvement in any sort of deal in the recruitment process of Nepali youths in the British Army and that no royalty is being received.

The Royal Palace statement came after reports quoting some former British Gurkha servicemen, who were speaking at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives on Sunday, said that the Royal Palace had been receiving one million pounding sterling a year as royalty for ‘supplying’ Nepali youths to the British Army.

There are nearly 3500 Gurkhas currently working in the British Army. The UK Defence Ministry started recruiting Gurkhas since 1815. nepalnews.com mk Sept 18 06

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