The government has decided to withdraw all the cases filed under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Control and Punishment) Ordinance (TADO) and not to file cases under this ordinance.

The meting of the council of ministers held Monday morning at the prime minister’s residence at Baluwatar took the decision to this effect.

Talking to Nepalnews, Spokesperson of the Home Ministry Baman Prasad Neupane said that the government made the decision to withdrew cases filed under TADO and not to file cases under the TADO.

The decision was made to release Maoist detainees, who were detained under TADO at a time Maoists are pressurizing the government to release all political detainees before the second round of talks.

The TADO allowed security forces to detain persons accused of terrorism for a year without taking them to court. The ordinance had permitted such detention for 90 days when it was first promulgated in 2002.

The TADO is due to expire on the third week of October.

Earlier, reports had said that the cabinet scrapped the TADO with effect from Monday.

Speaking at a programme in the capital on Monday Maoist spokesman, Krishna Bahadur Mahara informed that more than 350 Maoist cadres are being detained under TADO and will be released soon.

Likewise, the cabinet also took decision to form a Media Council under the chairmanship of the member of the National Assembly and senior advocate Radheshyam Adhikari.

Members of the council will include president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), coordinator of Save the Independent Radio Movement (SIRM), and presidents of Nepal Press Union, Press Chautari Nepal and Sancharika Samuha. The director general of the Information Department is member secretary of the council. The council will hand over its first report after two months.

The government also decided to appoint Kul Chanda Wagle, former president of Nepal Press Union, as the advisor at the Ministry of Information and Communication.

Similarly, the cabinet meeting finalized regulations regarding functioning of the council of ministers, radio reports said. It is expected to be tabled at today’s session of the parliament, after which the parliament will be in recess.

On the occasion, Home minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula informed the cabinet about his meeting with Maoist chairman Prachanda on Sunday.