KATHMANDU, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Over a dozen underground Terai outfits active in southern Nepal's Terai plains said there was possibility of dialogue with the government if the latter pledges to make it "meaningful", local news website eKantipur reported on Sunday.

    After reportedly holding discussions among themselves at an undisclosed location in the Indian state of Bihar recently, the Terai groups made the remark on Saturday in Sunsari district, some220 km south of Nepali capital Kathmandu.

    On Friday, the Nepali government formally invited all armed groups operating in the southern plains to come for talks, and formed a three-member talks team.

    The talks team comprises Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Janardan Sharma from the leading Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)(CPN-M) as coordinator, and Minister for Local Development Ram Chandra Jha from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) and Minister for Education Renu Yadav from the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) as members.

    This is the first time the Nepali government formed a separate team to hold talks with the armed Terai groups. As many as 14 armed groups are operating in the Terai for what they call "liberation of Madhesh". Madhesh, geographically, is mainly referred to the eastern part of Terai plains.

    Minister Jha is already in the Terai since last one week, and Minister Yadav has left for Terai Sunday to facilitate dialogues with the groups.

    Winding up their meeting, outfits such as factions from Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM), Madhesi Mukti Tigers, VirusKillers and Terai Cobra inked a 15-point agreement on forging a working alliance, according to the report.

    "If the government fosters an environment that is favorable and pledges to make the talks meaningful, we are ready to sit for such talks," said JTMM leader Bibas Bidrohi.

    The groups also declared a "ceasefire period" for Dashain festival, the most important festival among Nepali Hindus, from Oct. 6 to Oct. 14.

    The meeting decided to form a "Joint Armed Front" with representation of all the underground outfits and named a coordinator of the front, while Bidrohi is vice-coordinator.