Distribution of cheques to the PLA fighters opting for voluntary retirement package has kicked off at PLA Third Division at Shaktikhor on February 3.

The cheque distribution has started after Balananda Sharma, coordinator of Secretariat of the Special Committee for Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of Maoist Combatants, PLA division commander Dhan Bahadur Maskey among others agreed to fill up the forms of PLA fighters choosing for voluntary retirement on the basis of UNMIN verification. Earlier, there was some confusions over the issue and distribution of cheques was delay today.

As many as 1‚137 out of the total 3350 combatants‚ currently residing at the 3rd division‚ have chosen the retirement package and the cheques were distributed to 447 today, said Sharma.

As per the grading of the combatants, fund ranging from Rs. 500000 to Rs. 7, 00000 will be given to each combatant under retirement package and half of the total money a combatant is entitled will be given under the first installment. It has been stated Rs. 8000, Rs. 5000 and Rs. 2000 will be provided to each combatant for travel expense for mountainous, hilly and terai districts respectively. The major political parties had agreed to provide the first installment in this fiscal.

All the combatants will stay in the cantonment till February 11 and a farewell program will be organized in the presence of UCPN-M chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' the same day, said division commander Maskey.

"Though the fighters received the cheques, they can stay in the cantonment till February 12, said, coordinator of Secretariat of the Special Committee, Sharma.