BHAIRAHAWA, MARCH 5
Despite protest from locals, Minister of Finance Bishnu Paudel today laid the foundation stone of Motipur Industrial Estate in Rupandehi.
Irate locals pelted stones targeting Minister Paudel and vandalised the foundation stone laid by the minister.
Locals protested the government's decision to lay the foundation stone of the industrial estate saying that the estate would affect more than 2,000 families and lead to the seizure of their land.
They accused the government of laying the foundation stone for the estate without addressing their problems.
Amid the protest and slogans, Minister Paudel had reached the podium to speak. He had to be escorted away from the podium after locals pelted stones targeting him. Six people, including the police personnel, were injured in the incident.
The government has set an ambitious plan to establish an industrial estate in 800 bigha land. Industrial Estate Management Limited chairman Nanda Bahadur Basnet said the estate would affect around 2,300 families and the government should address their concerns.
Locals have urged the government to address their problems prior to carrying out development work.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 06, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
