Phidim, July 30:

Hoodlums claiming to be the Young Communist League (YCL) cadres, last night vandalised the office of the Panchthar District Development Committee.

The vandals, saying that Local Development Officer (LDO) was involved in the irregularities in the course of fulfilling vacant posts in the DDC, vandalised the building at 9 pm last night.

Computers, television set and furniture in the LDO room were destroyed. “We are evaluating the damage incurred in the vandalism,” DSP Mukti Shrestha said.

LDO Bhakti Prasad Upreti said the Maoist district secretary Aindra Kerung and district member Laxmi Prasad Neupane phoned him 10 minutes before the incident and said he had picked only DDC temporary staffers and sidelined Dalits and janajatis from the open competition for the vacant posts in the DDC.

“I said I would show them the examination papers the next morning but they threatened me. Then I left the building for safety and the people vandalised the building,” he said.

“Fifteen-odd persons, claiming to be YCL cadres, vandalised the building,” Nepal said.

LDO Upreti said he was not involved in any kind of irregularity.

Denying any irregularities, acting CDO Ram Mani Pokhrel said the examination was conducted by a committee as per the Public Service Commission rules.

“The exam was conducted fairly with by a committee comprising LDO, myself and a representative of the PSC,” Pokhrel said.

Maoist district member Neupane, however, alleged that the party has concrete evidence that the LDO took bribe of over Rs 300,000 from the temporary staffers.

“The exam should be cancelled and all the members of the vacancy committee should resign,” Nepaune said. He, however, denied YCL’s involvement in vandalising the building.