SATURDAY LAST DAY OF 2069 Kathmandu, 13 April: Saturday is the last day of Bilram Sambat 2069. nnnn SPECIAL COMITTEE DISSOLVED AFTER MEETING RESPONSIBILITIES Kathmandu, 13 April:: The Special Committee on Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants has now become a thing of the past with the committee completing all the tasks as mandated by the Interim Constitution 2007 and other agreements, Kosh Raj Koirala writes in . Republica. A meeting of the Special Committee held at its Secretariat in New Baneshwar on Friday announced dissolution of the body effective from Saturday as decided by a meeting of the High Level Police Committee (HLPC) held earlier in the morning. “The committee was formed as per the Article 146 of the Interim Constitution 2007 for transitional management of the former Maoist combatants. The dissolution of the committee marks successful conclusion of one of the important components of the peace process,” said Special Committee member Dr Minendra Rijal. The committee will automatically dissolve with its extended term expiring on Saturday. Interim Council of Ministers in January, 2007 had formed the committee for transitional management of the cantoned Maoist combatants. A separate technical committee of experts was also formed under the committee to facilitate integration and rehabilitation process in line with the provisions set in the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) and in the Interim Constitution. With the appointment of the retired NA Lieutenant General Bala Nanda Sharma as its coordinator in January, 2007, the committee comprising political leaders of major parties initially started overseeing management of over 32,000 Maoist combatants living in various seven main and 21 satellite cantonments in different parts of the country. The number, however, came down after the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) verified only 19,602 combatants, disqualifying 4,008 “minor” combatants, who were released from the cantonments in early 2010. The long-stalled army integration and rehabilitation process had gained momentum only in early 2012 with the decision of the Maoists to regroup the “verified” combatants opting for rehabilitation, integration and voluntary retirement. While only six combatants opted for rehabilitation, 9,000-plus chose integration. The 7,000 combatants who chose voluntary retirement were released from the cantonments. But as there was agreement between the parties to limit the number of Maoist combatants for integration to 6,500, those opting for integration were again regrouped after the NA took over all 15 cantonments, including the seven main cantonments that housed the remaining combatants on April 10. At this time, only 1,462 were selected for integration in the national army. Integration of the Maoist combatants in the army witnessed another hitch as parties remained at odds on the issue related to the ranks of the Maoist combatants joining the NA. The committee could settle the issue with the four major parties agreeing last month in the 11-point political deal to allow 71 officer-level posts, including one colonel and two lieutenant colonels, to the Maoist combatants undergoing NA training. “The management of former Maoist combatants was full of challenges. Our foreign friends were watching anxiously whether we could accomplish the tasks on our own. We have proved that we are capable enough of solving our problems on our own,” remarked another Special Committee member Bhim Rawal. He said the Special Committee will now automatically be dissolved with the extended term of the Committee expiring on Saturday. The last meeting of the Special Committee on Friday also decided to provide Rs 255,000 each to 47 former Maoist combatants, who have decided to quit NA training. The decision to provide the amount was made on “humanitarian grounds”, according to Special Committee members. Rawal said the meeting also decided to recommend the government to appoint Bala Nanda Sharma to coordinate management of the former Maoists combatants until they complete their basic training in NA. Sharma has also been entrusted with preparing a record on former Maoists combatants to the government. Despite reservation from the UCPN (Maoist), the meeting chaired by former Prime Minister and Maoist Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattarai also decided to ask the Office of the Auditor General to probe into all the expenses made for the management of the cantonments. Nnnn 2069 PEACEFUUL CLAIMS NEPAL POLICE Kathmandu, 13 April: Nepal Police has claimed that the year 2069 remained largely ´peaceful´ in comparison to the last few years. Top police officials claimed that this became possible due to hard work by police personnel despite challenges of growing new forms of crime and several logistical constraints. Kamal Pariyar writes in Republica. . At a function organized at Nepal Police Headquarters, Naxal, for review of the year 2069 and to exchange greetings of New Year 2070, it was informed that criminal activities during the year declined although cases of violence against women rose, more illegal arms were confiscated and huge amounts of drugs seized. Briefing the media, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Keshav Adhikari, who is also the spokesperson of Nepal Police, said cases of violent crime declined significantly in 2069 in comparison to year 2067 and 2068. But records show that the country witnessed a surge in other forms of crimes such as fraud, extortion and financial crimes, serious type of cyber crimes and crimes masterminded by women. The year 2067 witnessed 734 murders, 2068 saw 726 murders but the number came down to 657 in 2069. Similarly, it was claimed that cases of kidnapping have also decreased markedly in recent years. According to police data, 75 kidnapping incidents were recorded in 2069. A total of 113 arms were seized while the number of related arrests was recorded at 460 in the year 2069 against the previous year´s 536. Police reported that a total of 1,697 people died in 7,493 road accidents in 2069. Likewise, police registered slightly more complaints of violence against women this year, DIG Adhikari said. This year 489 such cases were registered against the previous year´s 480. Adhikari attributed the improvement to police´s ´zero-tolerance´ policy against violence against women. Also, police have termed the year successful in terms of curbing drug trafficking and drug abuse as 1,713 related cases were registered and 2,431 individuals arrested. But a top police official requesting anonymity told Republica that decrease in the number of criminal cases and increment in registration of complaints alone do not indicate at peaceful society because criminals are getting more sophisticated and police are finding it difficult to trace and prove such criminal activities. We now need to focus more on new and sophisticated forms of crimes including cyber crimes and financial crimes including ATM fraud. The gunning down of Supreme Court Justice Rana Bahadur Bam is among one of the serious cases of 2069 as police still are clueless about who and why committed the murder. Also, police noted that more youths were found involved in heinous forms of crimes this year. Police informed that security was tightened in Kathmandu Valley during the year with several layers of security arrangement including more check points and patrolling despite logistical crunch. Nnnn