Gyanendra returns to palace again

Kathmandu, May 30 (UNI) Nepal's former king Gyanendra has returned back to the palace today, a local TV channel reported.

Earlier the TV channel had reported that Gyanendra had left the Narayanhiti palace after midnight last night.

There was the caravan of three/four cars and some trucks at 0045 hrs (local time), Sagarmatha TV said.

The government has sent a letter to the palace to vacate the palace within 15 days and the palace will be turned into a museum.

People were expecting that the former King Gyanendra would leave the palace today.

Gyanendra and his family members are learnt to have left for Nirmal Niwas, Maharajgunj about three miles north of the palace.

Nirmal Niwas is his private residence. Government has nationalised all the palaces used by the royals in the past.

The government was preparing to send a letter of the Parliament's decision to vacate the palace in 15 days time.

The Constituent Assembly voted with 560 votes to abolish monarchy and declare Nepal a federal democratic republic country on Wednesday. Only four votes were against the proposal.

The government has formed a panel headed by the general administration ministry secretary to collect details of property inside Narayanhiti palace and also asked the home ministry to make necessary arrangement immediately for the safety of palace property.

The cabinet's political committee at a meeting decided to ask the palace chief officer to enforce the CA decision of Wednesday, Kantipur quoted Minister for Labour and Transport Management Ramesh Lekhak as saying.

''The meeting asked the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to send a letter to the palace in this connection,'' he said.

In the letter the government reminded the palace about the decision of the CA's first meeting and asked the chief official to implement the decision within 15 days.

The panel led by the general administration secretary has been asked to prepare details of property inside the palace within 10 days.

The committee also decided to transfer all royal palace staff to the general administration ministry's reserve pool within 15 days and assign them wherever they are deemed necessary.

Those who have already reached the normal age of retirement will be given retirement immediately and others will be brought under the general administration ministry.

Palace staff had removed the royal emblem from the palace premises and national flag was hoisted after the protest in front of the palace the whole day yesterday.

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