Agreement Reached Between Victims and Government, Protest Suspended

Kathmandu. The protest against meter-interest, which has been going on for the past 9 days, has finally been suspended. The protest was suspended after an agreement was reached between the meter-interest victim side and the government on Friday, with a 9-point agreement.

The 'Pedal Justice March', which started from Tritiyagachhi in Janakpur on Asar 25, reached Nijgadh in Bara, and on Asar 32, an agreement was reached between Home Minister Sudhan Gurung and victim representatives to form a negotiation team in Kathmandu.

In accordance with that agreement, the negotiation team of the victim side, which arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday, and the government team led by Pushkar Sapkota, Secretary of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers' Office, reached this agreement after intensive talks.

Secretary Sapkota signed the agreement on behalf of the government negotiation team, and Awadhesh Kushwaha signed on behalf of the victim side.

According to the agreement, the government will propose in the upcoming Council of Ministers to declare meter-interest as an economic offense and completely eradicate this malpractice, which will automatically make all fake deeds, mortgages, deeds of sale, and forced checks invalid and void.

According to the agreement, the Home Ministry will prepare the draft of a special bill within 3 months and enact a law to control meter-interest, which will guarantee a separate tribunal to hear cases, return of victims' property, and adequate compensation.

Similarly, according to the agreement, while verifying transactions at the ward office, the legal source of funds and proof of bank transactions will be made mandatory, and strict action will be taken against those who lend criminal profits or corruption money as meter-interest.

In the new law, the act of creating documents for more than the actual amount, adding interest to the principal, not giving receipts to the borrower, taking excess interest, threatening, physically/mentally exploiting, forcibly signing blank checks or documents, and seizing property will be considered a crime.

For the investigation of meter-lenders, the forensic lab testing of documents, investigation of property sources, and investigation under asset laundering (money laundering) will be conducted according to criminal procedure, and for cases pending in court, legal obstacles will be removed for the justice of the victims.

Similarly, a high-level coordination committee and a separate desk under the coordination of the Secretary of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers' Office will be established at the center to address the victims' grievances.

A facilitation committee under the coordination of the Assistant Chief District Officer at the district level (including 3 victim representatives) will be formed to resolve all complaints within 6 months, which will be monitored by a committee led by the Chief District Officer.

Along with the agreement to bring financial assistance and relief packages in the annual budget to prevent falling into the cycle of meter-interest again, the victims have suspended all protest programs.