Saturday, February 18 2006 13:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kathmandu: Maoists have released three employees of an Indo-Nepal joint venture following an agreement with the company on issues relating to workers'welfare, two weeks after abducting them from a southerndistrict of the Himalayan kingdom.

The three managers of Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Indian Tobacco Company, were released late last night, Sanjiv Puri, General Manager of Surya Nepal, said, adding that all of them were safe and healthy.

The Maoist affiliated All Nepal Trade Union Federation (Revolutionary) had abducted the company's Production Manager Sarbajit Rana, Manufacturing Manager Prabhakar Shah and Commercial Manager Dambar Mani Limbu from Bara district while they were returning home from the factory on February three.

"They released our staff after we had discussions with the Maoist affiliated trade union and reached a seven-point agreement on their issues" relating to workers' welfare, Puri told sources.

He also thanked human rights organisations, media and other groups that took initiatives for their safe release.

The release also came after the Government made publicwhereabouts of two Maoist workers, including a woman, as demanded by the rebels, sources at Surya Nepal said.

The company management agreed to look positively at the demands of Maoists, including those relating to settling temporary workers' problems and procedures of hiring indirect labourers, they said.