Key Takeaways:

• Illegal moneylending to be declared a criminal offence
• Draft bill to be prepared within three months
• Property restoration, legal aid, and rehabilitation pledged
• District-level committees to resolve grievances within six months

KATHMANDU, JULY 18 A nine-day protest movement against illegal moneylending practices came to an end on Friday after the government and representatives of the meter loan victims signed a nine-point agreement at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar. The agreement was reached following intensive negotiations between a government team led by Prime Minister's Office Secretary Pushkar Sapkota and a victims' delegation coordinated by Avadhesh Kushwaha. The deal brings to a close the 'Justice March', a foot march from Treetiyagachhi in Janakpur that began on Ashadh 25 and reached Nijgadh in Bara before prompting Home Minister Sudan Gurung to agree to formal talks in Kathmandu on Ashadh 32. According to Dipa Dahal, Press Advisor and Research Expert to the Prime Minister, Thursday's intensive negotiations between the two sides converted an earlier verbal understanding into a formal written agreement, which was signed on Friday. What the nine-point agreement contains The agreement commits the government to declaring illegal moneylending a criminal offence and recommending a formal proclamation to that effect at the next Cabinet meeting. Fraudulent documents associated with meter loan, including promissory notes (tamsuk), mortgage deeds, registration passes and coercive cheques, created through criminal or corrupt intent will be automatically rendered void upon that declaration. The Ministry of Home Affairs has been directed to prepare a draft bill within three months to enact a dedicated law criminalising illegal moneylending. The proposed legislation is to include provisions for defining and establishing the offence, ensuring the return of movable and immovable property seized from victims with appropriate compensation, legal mechanisms to address the displacement of urban dwellers caused by predatory lending, and the establishment of a dedicated judicial body to hear meter loan cases. Other provisions in the agreement include a process for reviewing and withdrawing criminal cases filed by the government against meter loan victims, and recommending amnesty where final judgments have already been delivered. A high-level coordination committee is to be formed under the coordination of the Prime Minister's Office Secretary, with membership from the Ministry of Home Affairs and victims' representatives, to oversee implementation. A dedicated desk is also to be set up under the PMO's Joint Secretary to handle victim grievances. District-level facilitation committees are to be established across all districts under the coordination of assistant chief district officers, tasked with resolving grievances within six months and meeting at least four times per month. A monitoring and review committee headed by chief district officers will report weekly to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The agreement also commits the government to pursuing investigations into money laundering tied to illegal moneylending, providing legal aid and rehabilitation to victims, and making it mandatory for lenders to document transactions with verified sources, tax clearance and bank statements. As part of the agreement, the Justice March from Janakpur to Kathmandu was suspended with immediate effect from the date of signing. The agreement was signed on behalf of the government by Secretary Pushkar Sapkota as convenor, with Joint Secretary Kali Prasad Parajuli and Director Generals Yogendra Prasad Dulal and Dr Bhishma Kumar Bhusal as members, and Ishwari Datta Pane as witness. The victims' delegation was signed by Convenor Avadhesh Kushwaha, with members Manoj Kumar Paswan, Rijan Rana Magar, Kiran Damai and Laxmi Ghimire, and Nirgraj Jaisi as witness. The agreement was executed on July 17, 2026.