Chief of the Maoist People's Liberation Army (PLA) Nanda Kishore Pun Monday downplayed the controversy over the seizure of cheques and identity cards by the commanders from outgoing PLA members in some cantonments is the party's "internal matter".

"The issue surrounding the pay cheques is entirely an internal matter of our party. There is no need to blow it out of proportion," Pun said while speaking at the Reporters Club Monday.

He said the Nepali Congress and the UML were unnecessarily making hue and cry over the reports of seizure of the cheques.

“Our party has its own economic policy and the commanders may have tried to apply  it," Pun said without denying the news reports that the commanders seized the cheques from the voluntarily retiring combatants saying that they must pay 40 percent of the financial package to the party. nepalnews.com