9-point agreement between the victim and the government
Kathmandu. The agitation against meter interest that has been going on for the last 9 days has finally been called off. The strike has been called off after the government and the government signed a 9-point agreement today.
Home Minister Sudan Gurung and the victims’ representatives had agreed to form a talk team in Kathmandu on July 12 after the ‘Foot Justice March’ that started from Tritiyagachhi of Janakpur on July 9 reached Nijgadh of Bara.
The agreement was reached following intensive talks between the victims’ talks team and the government team led by Pushkar Sapkota, Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. Secretary Sapkota on behalf of the government talk team and Awadhesh Kushwaha signed the agreement on behalf of the victim’s side.
As per the agreement, the government will take a proposal to the next cabinet to declare the meter interest as an economic offense and declare it to be completely eradicated, which will automatically make all fake tamsuk, mortgages, chhinwa passes, and obligatory cheques invalid and canceled.
According to the agreement, the Ministry of Home Affairs will draft a special bill within 3 months and formulate an act related to meter interest control, which will include a separate tribunal to hear the case, return the victim’s property and guarantee appropriate compensation.
Similarly, proof of the legal source of money and bank transactions will be made mandatory while verifying the transactions at the ward office as per the agreement. According to the new law, making paper of more than the actual amount, adding interest to the principal, not paying reimbursement to the borrower, charging high interest, threatening, physical and mental abuse, forcibly signing a blank cheque or paper and confiscation of property will be considered a crime.
Forensic lab examination of documents for investigation of meter badges, trace the source of property and investigation under money laundering will be carried out as per criminal procedures, while legal hurdles for justice of the victim will be removed in case of cases pending in the court. Similarly, a high-level coordination committee and a separate desk will be set up at the center under the coordination of the secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to address the grievances of the victims. At the district level, a facilitation committee will be formed under the coordination of Assistant Chief District Officer (including 3 representatives of the victims) and all the complaints will be cleared within 6 months, which will be monitored by a committee led by the Chief District Officer.
Also, the victims have suspended all the protest programs after the agreement was reached to bring financial assistance and relief package in the annual budget to avoid falling into the cycle of meter interest again ।
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