The government is preparing to distribute Rs 2 billion to the family of Maoist combatants who were killed and disappeared during the conflict. Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari has allocated the amount under the Peace and Reconstruction Ministry after being pressurised by the Maoists. The families will receive Rs 200 thousand each. Fearing protests from the opposing parties, Adhikari allocated the money discreetly under the Peace Ministry not mentioning it in the budget speech. Of the Rs 9.68 billion allocated for the Peace Ministry, Rs 2 billion has been set aside for this purpose. Finance secretary Krishna Hari Banskota and other officials involved in budget drafting had suggested that distributing money to individuals would mean siphoning money from development, Adhikari forced the program into the budget.
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