Rautahat, July 16 -- Talks between victims of predatory lending practices and a government negotiation team ended without an agreement on Wednesday night, after both sides refused to back down from their positions.

The negotiations, held at the hall of the Nijgadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bara, continued until midnight but ended in a stalemate.

Home Minister Sudan Gurung travelled to Bara on Monday to lead talks on behalf of the government. During two days of negotiations, victims submitted a six-point draft agreement outlining their demands to Gurung on Wednesday night.

Gurung, who headed the government negotiation team, said the government was ready to accept all the demands raised during the talks but argued that some wor...