Dhangadhi, March 6:

The Seventh Division commander of the Maoists’ People’s Liberation Army in Kailali, Mahendra Bahadur Shahi ‘Prajjwol’, said the PLA began fresh recruitment drive as a tit-for-tat action against the recruitment in Nepal Army. He said 4,000 new combatants will be hired n the seventh division alone.

He said vacancies for officer-level posts have been opened. “Because of the Tarai bandh, we have not issued notices for the vacancies, but the officers would be recruited through open competition,” Prajjwol said.

He said competition would be held for the posts of company assistant commander. “We decided to fill the vacancies through open competition to induct qualified and educated people in the PLA,” he said.

A company assistant commander in PLA is equivalent with the post of lieutenant in the Nepal Army. He said they were still discussing on the criteria for applicants to the post such

as age and education. He hinted that age bar for the post could be more than 22 years unlike

the age bar of 22 years for applicants to the post of lieutenant in the NA.

However, Prajjwol said the PLA will give priority to ideas over educational qualification while hiring.

“We are equally aware that the sons of landless people should not be deprived from the opportunity because of the qualification factor,” Prajjwol said.

He that the vacancies for over 200 company assistant commanders will be opened in the seventh division. Likewise, 4,000 new combatants will be hired this time.

After the fresh hiring, the number of PLA combatants will reach 7,500 in the Seventh

Division.