Nepal

Nepali goods suppliers hit hard as strike intensifies in bordering Darjeeling

Nepali goods suppliers hit hard as strike intensifies in bordering Darjeeling

By Rastriya Samachar Samiti

ILAM: The general strike called by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) in Darjeeling, the Indian state of West Bengal, has affected the bordering markets of Ilam district in Nepal. GJM has been protesting for a week against West Bengal government's decision to impose Bengali language in school's curriculum in the state. There is no transaction of goods and services in markets near eastern borders of Nepal. Moreover, the tourism sites are quiet due to the strike. The strike has shut commercial hubs in areas including Pashupatinagar and Mane Bhanjyang in the bordering areas. Due to the strike, there has been no collection of revenue from the Pashupatinagar-based Revenue Office, said the Office chief Prakash Pokharel. Before, vegetables from Nepal were being supplied to the Indian market on a regular basis, but now as the transaction has been disrupted for a week, Nepali farmers have been facing difficulties, Pokharel added.