Arghakhanchi, December 3

Life in Arghakhanchi, Rupandehi and Palpa districts was hit hard for the fourth consecutive day today due to the shutdown called by the locals to protest the proposal to split hill districts including these three away from Province 5.

While educational institutions, industries and marketplaces remained closed, vehicles stayed off the roads. Hundreds of people poured into the streets, held demonstrations and chanted slogans against the proposed constitution amendment.

In Argakhanchi, transport entrepreneurs and traders also showed solidarity with the protest, said the protest struggle committee coordinator Bishnu Prasad Khanal.

In Rupandehi, addressing a protest programme, senior advocate Tej Prasad Kandel demanded that the constitution amendment bill be withdrawn from the Parliament.

Likewise in Palpa, an all-party meeting held today decided to continue the protest for more two days. The meeting also took a decision to hold a mass demonstration on Monday against the constitution amendment proposal registered in Parliament. A joint struggle committee has also been formed under the leadership of active leaders of various local political parties, civil society leaders and President of Palpa Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Addressing the protest rally organised by the committee in Tansen, district leaders of the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party strongly opposed the proposal to take separate districts like Rukum, Rolpa, Argakhanchi, Gulmi and Pyuthan from Province 5.