The meeting of the Council of Ministers held at PM’s residence in Baluwatar on Thursday failed to set date for the constituent assembly election.

The cabinet decided, instead, to defer the decision on polls date to the next cabinet meeting scheduled for coming Sunday – after receiving report by taskforce of the eight parties entrusted to recommend government on constituent assembly election preparation.

The cabinet has proposed the name of former Chief Justice Kedar Nath Upadhyaya as the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission.

Earlier, during his meeting with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Wednesday, Upadhyaya had hinted he would take up the responsibility on fulfillment of his few conditions including appointment of independent members. However, the actual decision of appointing NHRC chief will have to be taken by the Constitutional Council.

The cabinet meeting also decided to form a commission to look into the matters of disappeared citizens during the period of insurgency. It also appointed Maheshwor Man Shrestha as a member of the National Planning Commission (NPC).

Additionally, a special committee has been formed under the leadership of Peace and Reconstruction Minister Ram Chandra Poudel to initiate the procedure of “integration, supervision and management” of the Maoist army to carry forward the earlier understanding of integrating PLA into the Nepali Army.

Meanwhile, government spokesperson and Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara said the government has decided to release 19 Maoist cadres from jails. The meeting also re-constituted the National Development Council.

The meeting failed to reach a consensus on the proposal of Local Development Minister Dev Gurung regarding the formation of the local bodies. Gurung has been saying that the local bodies would be formed on consensus by mid July. The cabinet decided that issue would be resolved through mechanism of eight parties.