Kathmandu, February 28:

Locals of the Basantapur area today alleged that a few people were forcefully trying to re-establish the night market at Basantapur that was closed down on February 8 and mentally torturing the locals who have also banned mobile food stalls in the area.

Organising a press conference today, the Federation of Kathmandu Durbar Square Management and Conservation (FKDSMC), an alliance of 16 local clubs, said they were facing a lot of mental trouble from the people who are hell bent on re-establishing the night market.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) had on February 8 terminated the contract for the night market and closed it down saying that the contractors did not comply with the terms. After the closure, a meeting between local clubs, the KMC and other groups concerned decided to ban mobile food shops from February 26, saying that such stalls tainted the image of the world heritage site and encouraged criminal and offensive activities in the area.

Manoj Newa Khadgi, the president of FKDSMC, said a few people with vested interests were inclined to re-establish the market. Certain people who were running illegal food stalls have also been creating problems for us in evacuating such stalls. “They have now been spreading rumours that we evacuated the market for our personal gains,” he added.

Raj Kalyan Tamrakar, the general secretary of the alliance, said even the KMC and the police, except a few, were backing the groups with vested interests.

Tamrakar demanded adequate support from all authorities concerned to preserve the cultural monument.

At the press conference, Nebin Man Shrestha of Nepal Tarun Dal, Prachanda Dev Manandhar of the Nepali Congress and Bijaya Krishna Shrestha, former chairman of Ward No 20 of the KMC, solidarity with the clubs and promised to work jointly with the locals to protect the area.