Cooperative Victims Grant Minister Additional Three Months to Resolve Issues, Agree to High-Level Talks Including Home Ministry

The government has requested an additional three months to address the demands of cooperative victims, committing to ensure the repayment of their savings within this period. Minister of Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation, Pratibha Rawal, emphasized that savers should not be divided into small and large categories and stated that efforts are underway to refund all savers. Kushalbh KC, president of the National Campaign for the Protection of Cooperative Savers, after receiving the government’s assurance, announced an agreement to hold high-level discussions with the Home Minister on Monday. Kathmandu, 13 Shrawan.

The government has been granted three more months to respond to the demands of cooperative victims. Victims have urged Minister Pratibha Rawal of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs, and General Administration to ensure the repayment of savers’ deposits within this timeframe. The victims protested in Kathmandu on Monday and Tuesday, claiming that the government’s focus has been limited to only problematic cooperatives and that repayments have been made exclusively to small savers, leading to discrimination.

Following the protests, Minister Rawal conducted discussions on Tuesday. During the talks, she requested three months and stressed that savers should not be categorized as small or large. “Please give me six months since I took responsibility,” Minister Rawal stated. “If I cannot guarantee repayment even within that period, then I will accept defeat.”

Minister Rawal also informed the victims that a separate unit would be established to implement rulings related to cooperative fraud cases. Additionally, she assured that the police would initiate the formation of a dedicated unit within the Central Investigation Bureau to investigate assets related to cooperative fraudsters. Accepting the requested extension, Kushalbh KC confirmed that they have agreed to seek resolution through high-level discussions with the Home Minister on the upcoming Monday.