Dashrathpur, December 26 :

Dashrathpur bazaar, which wore a deserted look till recently, has returned to its usual business.

People have started returning to the bazaar after Maoists established a main cantonment site for their Liberation Army here.

The government offices that were displaced due to conflict and insecurity are in process of being re-established.

The local shopkeepers and businessmen, who had packed up and left in search of greener pasture, are also now returning.

The locals are happy to see internal and external tourists, political leaders and representatives of United Nations (UN) visiting Dashrathpur bazaar.

Dashrathpur bazaar used to be the second busy bazaar after district headquarters Birendranagar due to the presence of several government offices and other facilities till ten years ago. But it lost its attraction due to lack of security after the insurgency. Lal Bahadur Regmi, a local, said he is delighted that situation became normal in Dashrathpur. “We have witnessed clashes many a times here, our business suffered a lot due to the conflict but now situation has improved significantly,” he said.

“After ten years Chief District Officer (CDO), ministers and other foreigners visited Dashrathpur bazaar,” Rajesh Regmi, a local businessman said. The Maoists had destroyed the Ramghat bridge linking Dashrathpur bazaar to other parts of the district two years ago. The agriculture produce, vegetables and dairy products produced here used to go wasted due to the lack of connectivity to other parts of the district. The bridge is now being reconstructed.

Dila Ram Sharma, another local, said the local farmers’ products could now be sent to the nearby markets without any difficulty, after the reconstruction of bridge. The locals are seeing vehicles plying on their village roads once again after a long time.

The Dhuliyabit-Bhedabari section of road linking Dashrathpur to Birendranagar is being repaired as it leads to the cantonment site of Maoists army.