Biratnagar, March 4:

Life in the eastern hilly and Tarai districts was crippled today due to the indefinite transport strike announced by transport entrepreneurs and workers.

They have demanded that the roads be declared zone of peace. The strike also affected the Holi festivities. People were not very enthusiastic in celebrating the festival due to disruption of transport services.

Transport entrepreneurs in the east of Janakpur have expressed their solidarity with the strike. Vehicles remained off the roads on Mechi Highway also.

Although protesters decided to stop air services in Biratnagar for two days, private airlines resumed services this afternoon.

Station manager of Yeti Airlines Prem Kunwar said his airlines made four out of nine flights this afternoon and said all flights will resume as scheduled from tomorrow. Buddha Air operated only one of seven scheduled flights this evening.

Head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Yogendra Raut said air services will resume from tomorrow and that there was no flight to the eastern hilly districts today. Our Dhankuta correspondent reported that life in the eastern hilly districts including Dhankuta was affected as vehicles remained off the roads due to a chakkajam today.

Public transport services were also disrupted in Udayapur, Dhanusha, Sarlahi, Siraha, Saptari, Sunsari and Ilam. Traffic along Mahendra Highway was disrupted today following the indefinite traffic strike called by the Nepal Transport Independent Workers’ Association, Rautahat.

The Association had called the strike since yesterday, demanding all concerned stop calling bandhs and strikes. Transport workers blocked roads by burning tyres and placing logs.

Some 500 vehicles are stranded at Chandranigahapur for two days, a local journalist Bipin Gautam said, adding, enraged passengers vandalised five buses today.

Business firms to defy bandh

ITAHARI: Industries and business houses here have decided to defy the general strike called by political parties and their sister organisations from now onwards. A joint meeting of five trade unions organised here agreed to defy any form of intimidation to shut down industries and trade. A 15-member panel formed to implement the decision, comprising representatives of several trade unions, has said that shutdown of economic activities has been a matter of grave concern for labourers. — RSS