Civil servants have received letters signed by Purna Bahadur Gharti Magar, secretary of Magarat State Committee, asking for donations. A source close to the Maoists said the party is making preparations to collect money from businessmen and private schools. [break]
The Maoists have set fixed rates for civil servants´ contributions based on their post. Under-secretary level officials are asked to pay Rs 10,000 each, while officials below the rank are required to pay Rs 8,000 each. Similarly, non-gazetted officers have been asked to pay Rs 5,000 each.
The civil servants, however, are individually negotiating with the Maoists and paying less than the fixed rate. Under-secretary level officials are paying between Rs 3,500 and Rs 5,000 each, other officials between Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 each, and non-gazetted officers Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 each. Junior level civil servants have paid at least Rs 500 each.
Though the Maoists are calling this voluntary donation, civil servants say they are being forced to pay the amount.
“They first demanded Rs 8,000. After negotiation, the sum was lowered to Rs 2, 000,” said an officer at the District Education Office, adding, “They said this is the final battle, and we should be careful. What else can one do than to give in to their demands?”
A district level leader, formerly associated with CPN (Unified), who entered UCPN (Maoist) a month ago, said, “People who did not give Rs 200 when I was with my former party are now easily giving Rs 2,000.”
The Maoists handed over letters demanding donations to VDC secretaries when the latter were participating in a monthly meeting. “They said this was the last time they would come for donation. They exerted pressure by saying that this is the last battle,” said one VDC secretary.
Parasmani, the ´district in-charge´ of UCPN-Maoist, claimed that people are voluntarily donating. “It is the people´s party. People help us carry out our programs,” he said.
The donation drive that started this week has so far already collected money from over a dozen offices, including District Development Committee, District Education Officer, Land Revenues Office, and Drinking Water and Sanitation Division, among others.
Meanwhile, in Tarakhola VDC of the district, Maoists are conducting political and physical training of their cadres in preparation for the ´final battle´.
Party workers, who did not make it through UNMIN´s verification of Maoist combatants, are conducting the training. Some 200 youths are participating in the training, according to a source close to the party.
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