Khotang, January 12

Local representatives of various political parties have urged the Local Bodies Struggle Committee, Khotang, which has been on strike for a couple of days, to look for an alternative to the road blockade.

The struggle committee called the strike after the Local Bodies Restructuring Commission named a new village assembly which was not recommended by local stakeholders. Political representatives of seven VDCs including Buipa, Rajapani, Bijayakharka, and Nunthala have imposed an indefinite road blockade since last Saturday, demanding that the commission declare Lamidanda as a village assembly instead of Mahuregadi.

Stating that the public was badly affected, leaders of Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN-Maoist Centre, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, CPN-ML, Khumbuwan Rastriya Morcha, and Naya Shakti Nepal jointly urged the bandh enforcers to change the modality of their protest. They have also drawn the attention of the local administration to take necessary initiatives to create an atmosphere conducive for bringing normalcy back in their lives.

Hundreds of commuters have been facing a hard time for days with the road blockade in different places of the district. The locals have no option but to walk on foot as vehicular movement has come to a grinding halt along the Diktel–Jayram road section, the only road stretch connecting the district to the capital.

The bandh enforcers have not allowed any vehicle to enter Diktel from Jayram–Halesi road section, while outbound commuters from district headquarters Diktel are not permitted to move out from Hurlung. Scores of patients referred to other health facilities have been compelled to take air services.

Struggle Committee Coordinator Uday Bahadur Karki said that their agitation would continue until the commission revoked the earlier decision.

Meanwhile, Khotang transport entrepreneurs have urged bandh enforcers to change the agitation and they have also appealed to the administration to look for a way out.