Siraha, September 16:

Life was affected in Siraha, Sarlahi and Saptari districts on the first day of a two-day general strike called by the JTMM-J.

Calling on people to boycott the elections, the JTMM-J has called the strike. The strike affected the transport sector, educational institutions, industries and markets. Work was disrupted in more than 10 offices in Siraha, including the Land Revenue Office, Nepal Telecom, NEA, Siraha District Development Committee and Rastriya Banijya Bank. “Work came to a halt at the Rastriya Banijya Bank in the afternoon after a person called up from an unknown place and warned us to close the office,” a staffer of the bank said.

The strike affected life in Lahan, Golbazaarr, Ramnagar and Mirchaiya.

Yesterday, JTMM-J detonated socket bombs at three places in Golbazaar, police said, adding that there were no casualties.

Meanwhile, JTMM-J cadres seized a motorbike belonging to Jeetendra Mahato in Sukhipur for defying the strike, Siraha district in-charge of the JTMM-J Tuphan Singh Bidrohi said.

Vehicles stayed off the roads, a report from Saptari district said, adding that industries and medical shops were also shut. However, schools remained open. In Sarlahi, schools, colleges, industries and shops were closed following threats from JTMM-J cadres. Schools and colleges remained open. Markets remained open in Hariwan, Lalbandhi, Nawalpur, Karmaiya and Ranigunj of Sarlahi. But they were closed in Barathawa and Ishworpur.

Teachers’ stir

Siraha: Schools in Siraha remained closed on Sunday due to teachers’ strike. The teachers from the Nepal Teachers’ Union, Nepal National Teachers’ Organisation, Nepal Teachers’ Association, All Nepal Teachers’ Association, Nepal Teachers’ Forum, Nepal Teachers’ Forum and the Nepal National Teachers’ Council have been demanding that the government declare Arun Kumar Shrestha, headmaster of Tulsiram Satyabhama Dotel sch-ool a martyr and pay compensation to the bereaved family. — HNS