Kathmandu, February 25

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has proposed attractive salaries, perks and benefits for its staffers and experts and analysts that it will hire to support the body on thematic issues.

The transitional justice mechanism took the decision by endorsing its Financial Administrative Directive/Criteria on Wednesday. However, it needs to be approved by the government before it comes into effect.

The directive states that the allowance and benefits were required to motivate the government employees, experts and analysts because of the TRC’s special working procedure, workload, limited timeframe and its risky and sensitive tasks.

In addition to other incentives, food, overtime, fuel and transportation allowances have also been proposed for staffers and experts in the directive. It, however, does not mention anything about the perks and benefits for the five TRC members.

As per the directive, the experts and analysts can be hired up to the level of gazetted first-class officers at a monthly salary of Rs 30,000, in addition to the perks and allowances.

They will also be entitled to avail study allowances of up to Rs 3 lakh based on their experience and qualification.

The proposal was, however, contested by TRC member Madhabi Bhatta, who was TRC Spokesperson before she was removed from the post. She wrote a note-of-dissent on the decision. “The TRC should not get embroiled in petty issues like perks and incentives,” Bhatta told The Himalayan Times.

She said she was excluded even from the directive’s clause-wise discussion. TRC was set up in February 2015 with a mandate of resolving conflict-era rights violations cases within two years.

However, nothing substantive has been achieved so far in absence of its regulations and infrastructure.

TRC team to visit abroad

KATHMANDU: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission decided on Thursday to send two of its teams to Asian and South American countries to study conflict resolution and asked the government to sanction necessary budget for the same.

The dates of visits have not yet been confirmed.

TRC member Shree Krishna Subedi is proposed to lead a four-member team, comprising Secretary Narendra Man Shrestha and two other officers, to visit Chile and Peru, while another four-member team has been proposed for Philippines and Cambodia, but it is yet to be decided who will lead the team.

According to sources, TRC Chairman Surya Kiran Gurung has already made it clear that he won’t be a part of any study-tour, while Bhatta is more keen on completing ongoing field-visit to the remaining 20 conflict-affected districts of Nepal than going abroad on study tour.

Meanwhile, a TRC team will visit Madi, Chitwan on March 11 to interact with the families of the victims of Bandarmude incident.