KHOTANG: Protesting unavailability of budget for women as per the government directives, women from Khotang’s Halesi VDC locked three government offices yesterday.

The women had locked the area office of Nepal Food Corporation, Agriculture Office and the VDC office. Service seekers were put to trouble as the regular works in the offices came to a halt after the lock up.

Gamita Rai, chairperson, Women Rights Forum, said that they had locked the offices demanding that the decision of the village council be corrected. The women had boycotted the village council held on January 9 arguing that the budget was not allocated as per the government directives. Village councils are held in the VDCs to decide allocation of budget for local development activities.

Earlier, the women had warned that they would launch protest programme and bring the regular works of the VDC to a halt if the decision was not corrected by January 17. As their demand was not met they locked the offices as part of their protest programme.