Kathmandu, December 1:

The Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) today submitted a 13-point charter of demands to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. The Madhesi outfit - the fifth largest in the Constituent Assembly — has warned the PM that if their demands weren’t met within a month, it would start a series of protest programmes.

The TMDP has demanded the implementation of the accord signed between the United Democratic Madhesi Front and the then Nepali Congress government on February 28.

It also wants the following issues be settled soon:

affected people of the Madhes movement be rehabilitated, establishment of an autonomous Madhes province, quota for Madhesis in Nepal Army, inclusive participation of the Madhesis into various organs of the state and a fast track census.

The party is in favour of scrapping the Ministry of Culture and State Restructuring and also annulment of teachers’ licensing system.

The Madhesi party is clamouring for withdrawal of false charges against ‘innocent people’ in various districts, including Kapilvastu.

The TMDP wants the government to introduce partnership forestry to help Madhesis make a living out of local resources and also maintain ecology.

The TMDP has accused Chief District Officers of giving away Madhesi certificates to non-Madhesis in the Tarai and called for an immediate ban of these practices.

Security personnel who were forced to quit their jobs during the conflict be reinstated and also return the seized property to rightful owners.

The party has also demanded an easy availability of agro products, end of industrial disputes and availability of land for Kamaiyas.

TMDP chairman Mahantha Thakur along with senior leaders Hridayesh Tripathi, Sarbendra Nath Shukla and Ram Kumar Sharma handed over the memorandum to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.