Nawalparasi, August 15

At a time when there is a national furore over the proposed federal model, a group in Nawalparasi has come up with the demand for a separate district.

Local chamber of commerce and industry chapters of Devchuli, Gaidakot, and Nawalpur issued a joint statement today seeking Nawalpur area as a separate district. The statement has, however, welcomed the decision of keeping Nawalpur in Province 4.

“There is conspiracy going on to withdraw Nawalpur from the province and such acts concern us deeply. We vow to take up agitation if anything of that sort is done,” the statement read.

They have also demanded that Kawasoti be declared as headquarters of a separate Nawalpur that stretches from Tribeni Susta to Nawalpur.

Meanwhile, supporters of intact Nawalparasi vandalised a vehicle carrying newspapers at Maheshpur of district headquarters Parasi today. The agitators hurled stones at a van that was carrying copies of The Himalayan Times to Bhairahawa from Narayangadh in the morning.

According to van driver Laxman Chaudhary, the front and rear screens of the vehicle were smashed in the incident. Nawalprasi Police Chief Superintendent of Police Nal Prasad Upadhyaya said a search for the culprit was under way.

Intact Nawalparasi Struggle Committee coordinator Ram Bhawan Yadav condemned the attack saying it was a serious mistake to target a press vehicle.