2000 security personnel in Narayanhiti palace

Kathmandu, May 31 (UNI) Some 2,000 security personnel are deployed in three different divisions at the Narayanhiti Palace, head of the palace security informed today.

A governmental panel was formed yesterday to study the security deployed at the Narayanhiti and other palaces and prepare a working strategy to interact with the security officials of the palace.

''The security personnel inside the palace have been categorised into three groups -- Royal Parsowarti ADC group, Royal Army and regular army,'' Kantipur quoted the governmental panel's coordinator, joint-secretary of the Home Ministry, Mod Raj Dotel, as saying after visiting the palace.

The ADC group comprises of about 100 army personnel, the Royal Army includes 400 and regular army has some 1,500 personnel, Mr Dotel informed.

Meanwhile, the governmental panel was due to inspect the Narayanhiti palace to prepare the strategy for a security plan.

Following the government's direction, the Home Ministry formed the panel to prepare plans within seven days to make necessary security arrangements for the palaces, including the Narayanhiti and other properties under the name of the King, which were nationalised earlier.

Monarchy has been abolished and former king Gyanendra Shah and his family members were given 15 days time to vacate the palace. The government has decided to turn the palace into a museum.

Various organisations and Nepalese living around the globe have welcomed the declaration of republic.

Nepalese living in India, United Kingdom, the US, Gulf countries, European Union, Japan, South Korea have welcomed the decision, saying that the monarchy was the source of destabilising Nepal and had pushed the country to the dark age.

Various countries, including the US, UK, EU, China, Japan; and the UN also welcomed the declaration.

Meanwhile, the Maoists have said they would not accept President from other parties. The Prime Minister and President must be from the Maoists and the major ministries would also be under the Maoists, Maoist chief Prachanda said while speaking in a programme in Kathmandu.

We will not accept President from the defeated parties, he said.

Maoists have 220 seats in the 601-strong Constituent Assembly.

Maoists have threatened to launch a Russian style revolution if the Nepali Congress and the UML do not support them.

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