Rajbiraj, September 1

Life in Saptari is getting harder by the day with the general strike here entering its 18th day today.

While transactions were nil at all financial institutions, services came to a halt at government offices in the district too after employers affiliated to various employers’ unions and associations expressed solidarity with the agitation.

Nepal Telecom and Nepal Electricity Authority fee collection centre in Rajbiraj have been shut, and Bar units of Appellate Court and district court too have quit the court proceedings, in a show of solidarity with the ongoing agitation.

Similarly, services have been stalled at the administration, land reform, forest, land revenue, education, district development committee, forest and agriculture offices with employees resorting to pen-down strike after indicating their attendance in the attendance log.

Likewise, with teachers also joining the agitation, teaching-learning activities in the district have been disrupted. Apart from this, the streets wore a deserted look with nil vehicular movement.

Most of all, the continued general strike has resulted in scarcity of daily essentials, especially petroleum products, liquefied petroleum gas and life-saving medicine. Prices of daily commodities have also shot up.

Amidst all this, bandh enforcers continued their protest in places like Rajbiraj, Bhardaha, Rupani, Kushaha, Kanchanpur and Kalyanpur today, burning tyres at major intersections.

Earlier, on August 18, 28-year-old Rajendra Kumar Ruat had died in police firing during a clash between police and demonstrators in Bhardaha.

Meanwhile, the twin bandhs separately imposed by Tharu Kalyankari Sabha and Madhes-based parties have choked life in Udayapur too, particularly in the district headquarters Gaighat, which is likely to suffer from shortage of daily essentials in a few days.

“Whatever stock we had has finished and there is no way we can replenish our stores with these strikes going on. Severe scarcity looms large over the district,” said Rangilal Sah, a trader based in Gaighat.