Ex-Maoist combatants in Sakram sub-camp were handed over the first installment of their voluntary retirement packages on Wednesday. While some left the camps early with their children, others were busy packing. But all of them were disheartened at the prospect of bidding farewell to their comrades.

Two other Maoist groups, the YCL and disabled fighters, seemed equally unhappy but for different reasons. Holding a press conference, the YCL cadres demanded to be treated equally as former combatants and insisted on a similar package. Commander Abinash tried to pacify the outraged members, "Your demands are reasonable. We are with you. The state always suppressed us and now even the party is ignoring us." The disabled and injured combatants, on the other hand, want better packages than normal fighters, free education for their children, employment and provision for pension.

Both the groups said they would defy orders and refused to vacate the camps unless the party or the government conceded to their demands.

In between this uproar, stories about commanders seizing the pay cheques of many of the outgoing fighters have started circulating. Some cheques were seized inside the camp, while other were seized on their way to banks. But the party leadership claims that all accusations are false.