The office bearers’ meeting of the Unified CPN (Maoist) on Sunday decided to provide a special financial package to the former combatants who are now members of the party’s youth wing, the Young Communist League (YCL).

The meeting decided to determine the rank of the members of YCL who were in People’s Liberation Army (PLA) before and provide them financial package at par with the former combatants in seven PLA cantonments who chose Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) during the regrouping process.

Standing Committee member Netra Bikram Chand and politburo member Janardhan Sharma have been given the responsibility to determine the ranks of former combatants who are currently in YCL and come up with a recommendation to address their various demands including financial package at par with their colleagues who opted for VRS.

Maoist party secretary CP Gajurel said that Chand and Sharma will table the recommendation to address the demands of former combatants in the YCL at the next meeting of the party’s Standing Committee to be held in March 1.

The Maoist party headquarters will also provide the combatants with certificates recognizing their contribution to the “people’s war”.

The meeting of the Standing Committee of Unified CPN-Maoist had earlier decided to provide a special package to the members of YCL, who were in PLA. However, the party is yet to work out a concrete plan, along with the amount to be given to them.

It is also not clear from where the party would get such a huge amount of money to compensate YCL.

It is learnt that up to 10,000 PLAs (including Division Commander Ganeshman Pun, who is still leading YCL) had left the camps to join and strengthen YCL.

Combatants claim that the party has amassed up to Rs 1 billion from the PLAs’ salary and benefits besides the salaries of those who had left the camps. nepalnews.com