Sarlahi, February 7:

The ongoing bandh in Sarlahi, Mahottari, Rautahat and Bara districts for the past six days

has brought life in these districts to a standstill.

The locals have been demonstrating in Sarlahi’s Hariwan, Mahottari’s Bardibas, Rautahat’s Chandranigahpur and Bara’s Pathlaiya to protest the government decision to withhold its plan to establish Integrated Administrative Service Centres there. The locals closed Hariwan bazaar and obstructed traffic on East-West Highway. “Because of the closure, we are facing shortage of food stuffs,” said Dev Kumari Shrestha, a housewife, adding, “If the situation continues, we will starve to death.”

The agitators have obstructed the road by felling trees in Charkose Jhadi. With no vehicles on the road, passengers were forced to walk for 105 km to reach Bardibas from Nijgarh. Some passengers, including some foreigners, have been riding rickshaws, carts and bicycles, which they bought or hired from locals.

Meanwhile, a large number of women from northern part of Sarlahi demonstrated on

the highway today. Women affiliated with Unified CPN-Maoist, CPN-UML, Nepali Congress, Chure Bhawar Ekata Parishad, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum and other parties took part in the demonstration.

A meeting of struggle committee held in Hariwan today decided to let vehicles of diplomatic agencies, Red Cross, ambulances and media to ply on the highway from tomorrow, according to the member of the Committee and chairman of Hariwan Chamber of Commerce and Industries Rambhakta Prahad.

He also said they had decided to close educational institutions and factories to pile pressure on the government.

Our Chandranigahpur correspondent reported that the indefinite bandh for the past

six days had crippled life in Rautahat. With vehicles staying off the road, rickshaws and

carts have been serving as the means of transport on the East-West Highway.

However, the passegners have accused the rickshaws and carts — plying from Chandranigahpur to Bara’s Nijgarh, Sarlahi’s Karmaiya and Hariwan — of charging Rs 800 to 1000 per person. They also complained that some hoteliers in Chandranigahpur had been charging them exorbitant rates for their services. Due to the bandh, agricultural produces from rural areas could not be taken to the markets.

Likewise, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party continued Gaur bandh and obstructed traffic on Birendra highway today, demanding the termination of government decision to transfer the Gaur-based government offices’ extensions in Chandranigahpur.