Kathmandu, May 10
The parliamentary International Relations and Labour Committee has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hold talks with the British government regarding retired British Gurkha servicemen’s demands.
The committee summoned Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa and Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi on the issue. Retired servicemen’s demands are national agendas, the committee said, directing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take steps for the resolution of the issues through talks with the British government.
The retired servicemen’s demands include pension on a par with their British counterparts, appropriate pension for laid off Gurkhas, unconditional indefinite leave to remain for adult dependents and free medical services for retired Gurkha soldiers living in Nepal.
At the meeting, Thapa said the government has taken the retired servicemen’s demands as national agendas, adding that it has been taking diplomatic initiatives for the resolution of the issues. He said the government will continue talks with different levels of the British government till the issues get resolved.
At the meeting, some committee members stressed the need to form a committee for holding talks with the British government on the retired Gurkhas’ demands.
