Kathmandu, July 16:

The second meeting of the Peace and Rehabilitation Consultation Committee under the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction today discussed a preliminary draft bill of the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a host of other issues, including the one related to the commission on restructuring the state along federal lines.

The interim constitution has a provision of establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a commission on restructuring the state.

The meeting, chaired by Peace and Reconstruction Minister Ram Chandra Poudel, also discussed the agenda of forming a high-level monitoring committee to monitor all the agreements reached between the government and the Maoists, holding talks with the Madhesi and Janajatis besides discussing the draft bill of Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the commission on restructuring the state.

A draft bill of the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission, prepared by the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, was also submitted to the 32-member Peace and Rehabilitation Consultation Committee, formed by the government to assist the ministry on matters related to the entire peace process.

Participants said the Truth and Reconciliation Commission would remain a powerful body. Minister Poudel informed the consultation committee that the High-level Intra-party Coordination Committee (HICC) of the eight-party alliance had formed two separate committees to establish a contact with the agitating Madhesis and Janajatis for holding talks with the government. The two panels were formed on Saturday.

UML central committee member and member of the Peace and Rehabilitation Consultation Committee, Bhim Rawal, told this daily that he proposed criteria for the formation of the commission on restructuring the state along federal lines.

He said that experts on geography, culture, economics, linguists, representatives of political parties and specialists on natural resources should be the criteria for forming the commission on restructuring the state.