Kathmandu, June 17:

Maoist chairman Prachanda and his deputy Baburam Bhattarai today raised the issue of their cadres’ serial killings in the Tarai with Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula. The Maoist leadership has been saying that YCL cadres are targeted by some elements who are against CA polls.

Sitaula is learnt to have assured the Maoist leaders that he would take appropriate measures to control the serial killings of the YCL and would bring satisfactory results within a week.

The CPN-Maoist’s central secretariat meeting held two days ago had decided to launch

a Tarai-centric peaceful stir to prevent its cadres from attacks by armed groups. But the

party has yet to announce the agitation programme and withheld it waiting for the government response.

Prachanda and Sitaula also agreed to implement all agreements reached with the Maoists, which also include the release of Maoist prisoners of conscience who are still in government jails. A Maoist source said that the Maoist leadership had given the government a list of 61 persons still in jail on various charges. Sitaula is learnt to have sought the opinion of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs regarding the release of the Maoist prisoners. About the cases of disappearances, the leaders agreed that a soon-to-be-formed panel would look into cases of disappearance.

Sitaula is learnt to have asked the Maoist leadership to return the seized property to

the rightful owners for which the Maoist leaders committed to it. Sources said there are still some problems in Banke and other parts of the country and they would resolve them soon.

Prachanda is learnt to have asked Sitaula to release remaining installments of monthly allowances to Maoist combatants living in camps as per the understanding reached earlier.

The leaders are said to have discussed an appropriate way of registering the vehicles used by the Maoist leaders.