Kathmandu. The agitation against meter interest that has been going on for the last 9 days has finally been called off. The strike has been called off after the government and the government signed a 9-point agreement today.

Home Minister Sudan Gurung and the victims’ representatives had agreed to form a talk team in Kathmandu on July 12 after the ‘Foot Justice March’ that began from Tritiyagachhi of Janakpur on July 9 reached Nijgadh of Bara.

As per the agreement, an intensive talks were held between the victims’ talks team and the government team led by Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Pushkar Sapkota.

Secretary Sapkota and Awadhesh Kushwaha signed the agreement on behalf of the government talk team.

As per the agreement, the government will take a proposal to the next cabinet to declare the meter interest as an economic offense and declare it completely eradicated, which will automatically nullify all fake tamsuk, mortgages, chhidnwa passes and obligatory cheques.

As per the agreement, the Ministry of Home Affairs will draft a special bill within 3 months and formulate an act related to meter interest control, which will include a separate tribunal to hear the case, return the victim’s property and guarantee appropriate compensation.

As per the agreement, proof of the legal source of money and bank transaction will be made mandatory while verifying the transaction at the ward office and strict action will be taken against those investing criminal gains or corruption in meter interest.

According to the new law, making paper of more than the actual amount, adding interest to the principal, not paying repayment to the borrower, charging high interest, intimidation, physical and mental abuse, forcibly signing blank cheques or papers and confiscation of property will be considered criminals.

Forensic lab examination of documents for investigation of meters, trace the source of assets and investigation under money laundering will be carried out under criminal procedure and legal hurdles for justice of the victims will be removed in case of cases pending in the court.

Similarly, a high-level coordination committee and a separate desk will be set up at the centre under the coordination of the Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to address the complaints of the victims. At the district level, a facilitation committee will be formed under the coordination of Assistant Chief District Officer (including 3 representatives of the victims) and all the complaints will be settled within 6 months.

Also, the victims have suspended all their protest programmes after an agreement was reached to bring financial assistance and relief package in the annual budget so that they do not fall into the cycle of meter interest again.