The Maoists have put Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari under increasing pressure to include the payments in the upcoming budget, arguing that the relatives of the killed rebels should have the same compensation as those of the fallen military.
The Nepali Congress opposition party has expressed its dissatisfaction at the prospect of 'one more populist agenda,' the Kantipur daily reported.
'We won't accept a budget that effectively transfers money from the national treasury into the coffers of a particular party,' Nepali Congress leader Ram Saran Mahat was quoted as saying.
The annual budget is scheduled to be presented to parliament on Wednesday, and the Maoists have threatened to obstruct the session if their demand is not met.
The families of dead rebels are currently entitled to 1,500 dollars each under a deal signed at the end of the armed conflict in 2006.
The parties outside the government and a large section of the business community have said the communist coalition's populist budget could hamper development of vital infrastructure.
Nepal's economy is witnessing double-digit inflation and is on track to fall a full percentage point short of its projected growth rate of 4.5 per cent for the year.
Author: Biswas Baral
No comments:
Post a Comment