DHANGADI, July 26

Dhangadi bazaar remained shut throughout the day due to a bandh called by Kailali Chambers of Commerce on Sunday.

The business organisation came up with the protest against the new bidding process announced by Seti Zonal Hospital Development Committee to lease commercial shutters.

All local industries, trading houses, and marketplaces remained shut due to the strike.

Hospital’s decision to issue tender bidding for shutters sparked the protest

The hospital’s shutters were being used by traders at exceptionally low monthly rent. The traders have been demanding that they should be allowed to use the shutters whereas the chambers of commerce district chapter announced the protest expressing solidarity with the traders.

Citing directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Hospital Development Committee was set to announce a tender notice on July 17. However, it issued the biding process last Sunday after request from the chambers of commerce Kailali chapter.

The traders have been staging sit-in protest from July 18, closing their shutters.

Dilli Raj Awasthi, member of chambers of commerce, said that they had announced bandh in favour of the traders. He said no one would be forced to take part in the protest as it only intended to settle the traders’ problem.

Shankar Bogati, chairperson of Kailali chambers of commerce, said, “Though we are against bandh, it is our responsibility to back the traders when they are in trouble.” As many as 27 traders had rented the shutters.

Entrepreneur Shiva Kumar Fulara said the bidding had deprived traders of their fundamental right.

“Though the ministry had directed the hospital authority to announce bidding for empty and new shutters, the hospital committee abused their power,” he claimed.

However, Hospital Development Committee Chairman Yagya Raj Pandey said that they would lease the shutters through tender at any cost.