Kathmandu, January 29:

The Himali Indigenous Nationalities Coordination Council (HINCC) today warned that the people of Karnali would disrupt air services and ban tourism activities if the government failed to meet their demands by February 27.

The council has demanded, among other things, that the election constituencies should be allocated on the basis of geography and the interim legislature and the constituent assembly should provide 17.5 per cent seats to the rural and mountainous region.

Their other demands include—52 representatives from the Karnali, rural and mountainous region should get representation in the interim legislature, to appoint one representative each from the indigenous organisations affiliated to the Nepal Federation of Indigenious Nationalities, to declare public holiday on Loshar, to prioritise the rural and mountainous region on foreign employment along with others.

Addressing an interaction here today, HINCC president Kripasur Sherpa said: “We are planning to serve a one-month ultimatum to the government to meet our demands.”

He added that if the demands were not met by February 27 they would launch strong protests.

Other representatives from the Karnali and rural areas and the mountainous regions expressed their deep concern over the indifference of the government towards the development of the backward region.

Dhan Bahadur Buda, a member of Center for Karnali Development and Research (CKDR), said: “The Interim Legislature has provided only five seats for these areas.” He said that the government should seriously think about it.