BUTWAL: People of various walks of life in Butwal of Rupandehi today protested the Constitution amendment bill registered at the Legislature-Parliament Secretariat on Tuesday evening.

Students from many schools and academic institutions and commoners have brought the vehicular operation to halt across Butwal from this morning, protesting the amendment proposal claiming it split Province No. 5.

No vehicles are plying on the road along the East-West Highway and North-South Siddhartha Highway while the markets have remained partially open.

Delineation of federal units is one of the four contentious issues covered in the amendment proposal, according to which some changes have been made in boundaries of Province No. 4 and Province No. 5.

The proposal, in particular, seeks to separate the hilly districts of Palpa, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi, Rolpa and Pyuthan from the Province No. 5 and add them to Province No. 4. If the proposal was not withdrawn, the agitation would continue, said All Nepal National Independent Students Union (ANNFSU) Rupandehi Chapter President Bal Krishna Pandey.

The demonstrators argue that the Province No. 5, which earlier constituted hilly and mountainous districts rich in natural resources and cultural heritage, should not be split.

Meanwhile, the registration of Constitution amendment bill has sparked protests in districts including Palpa, Gulmi, Kapilvastu and Arghakhanchi.

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