KATHMANDU: The government today decided to set up Industrial Security Force to provide security to industries and businessmen.

Industrial Security Force is likely to comprise Armed Police Force personnel, according to Mahendra Prasad Yadav, Minister for Industry.

“Cabinet’s political committee will decide on the structure of the force and the action plan for implementing the decision within a few days,” said the minister. Sources said the force would probably be deployed under the command of a Deputy Inspector General.

“The political committee of the cabinet will decide all other things about the force after consulting the industrialists,” said Yadav.

Of the 5,000-odd industries — small, medium and large-scale - many have shut down in the last five years while others are on the verge of closure due to the increasing security threat.

The cabinet meeting also decided to allow industrialists to directly import diesel from India to run industries during power cuts.

The cabinet also decided that the state

would buy excess electricity if the private sector

operated diesel plant. Industrialists have proposed

to set up two diesel plants of 50 MW each

in Biratnagar and Birgunj to make up for the long power cuts.

The cabinet also decided to pay Nepal Electricity Authority and other corporations for the vehicles used by former prime ministers and home

ministers. Most of the former ministers have been using the vehicles of Nepal Electricity Authority and other corporations, which they got when they became ministers.

The NEA workers had been demanding that the government either returned the vehicles or paid the corporation.

Former prime ministers and home ministers are provided with vehicles at government expense.

The NEA workers have, however, complained that other ministers have also not returned the vehicles of different corporations though they had quit the ministerial posts.

The government also declared 16 persons killed during the Tarai movement as martyrs. They are: Jileram Yadav of Bardiya; Kari Thakur and Brahmadev Thakur of Dhanusha; Khodehe Godiya, Koili Kori, Kamal Giri, Tularam Tiwari and Kashiram

Harijan of Banke; Ram Shwaroop Mehata of

Sunsari; Chandrika Yadav of Rupandehi;

Lakhan Sathi of Saptari; Bechan Miyan of Morang; Jibdhari Yadav of Sarlahi; Sekh Abdul Ansari

and Ajit Ahmed Mansur of Bara and Kayun Daphali of Mahottari.

The cabinet also decided to control export

of boulders and sand from six Tarai districts of

Churia range.

The Ministry of Commerce and Supplies will bring an action plan in this regard, Rajendra Mahato, Minister for Commerce and Supply, said.

The cabinet allowed the finance ministry to make an agreement with the Japanese government for taking a grant of Rs 4,000 million for food security.