Dhangadhi, December 8:

Construction at the main cantonment site for Maoist fighters at Taalband in Kailali district has been completed.

However, construction work in three sub-camps in the district is on. “Bunkers, posts and tents are in place in the main camp now,” Maoists’ seventh division commander Prajjwal said.

Potable water has been arranged for, while personnel of the Maoists’ People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have themselves dug out a 10km-long road leading to the camp, he said.

He added electricity would be brought in the camp in a few days.

Although tents have been set up at a sub-camp at Sallebung in Sahajpur village development committee-9, construction of bunkers, posts and a road is underway.

At least a 3-km-long road is yet to be constructed that would lead to the sub-camp located in the jungles, some 6km away from Sahajpur Bazaar, Prajwal said, adding that work to arrange for potable water and electricity in the sub-camp is on.

Construction at sub-camps at Gorange in Baliya VDC and Badaipur in Masuriya VDC of the district is also underway.

The sub-camps have facilities like electricity, drinking water and road as they lie along Mahendra Highway. However, they lack communication facility.

Altogether 10,000 PLA personnel are putting up in four camps, with each camp housing 2,500 fighters, Prajjwal said.

He said preparations are over for the verification process to be started by the United Nations.

Fighters sans warm clothes

DHANGADHI: PLA fighters are compelled to spend the harsh winter nights without adequate clothes to keep them warm.

The seventh division commander of the Maoists, Prajjwal, said Rs 20 million provided by the government has been spent on food, construction works, gathering PLA personnel in the camps and purchasing tools. The fighters do not have spare clothes, except the combat dresses they are wearing. The government should immediately do something, otherwise it would be very difficult for us to survive”, Prajjwal said. — HNS