Ilam, July 25:

Accusing drivers of defying bandh, taxi owners vandalised seven vehicles, including three buses, at the Ilam district headquarters today. The bandh organisers vandalised the buses after forcing passengers to disembark at Talkeni. The same group also vandalised two pick-up vehicles.

Bandh organisers also vandalised two taxis at Biblyante bazaar. Eastern Taxi Entrepreneurs’ Association called the transport strike and bazaar bandh for indefinite period since early morning to protest the collection of parking charges in a haphazard manner. Taxi owners accused contractors appointed by Ilam municipality of collecting parking fees as per their

whims and fancies.

ETEA chairman Prem Bhattarai said Rs 15 is being collected from each taxi that is not parked in a designated parking lot. Every vehicle that plies the Mechi Highway has to pay Rs 40 to the municipality, he added.

Meanwhile, Sanghiya Limbuwan Rajyaparishad today called off the transport strike on the Pashupatinagar-Phikkal road. SLR had enforced the strike since Sunday to protest manhandling of two of its cadres in Pashupatinagar.

“We withdrew the bandh after the local administration agreed to compensate the victims,” the SLR stated in a release. Students also called off their agitation after the district-based transporters agreed to provide them 45 per cent discount on public transport fares.

Meanwhile, Pashupatinagar-Fikkal road was re-opened from Friday morning. It was disrupted at the call of the Federal Limbuwan State Council since Sunday.

The bandh was withdrawn after the agreement was reached that two cadres of the FLSC, who was beaten when they were at the customs office to hand over the kerosene and vehicle seized during its illegal trade, would be provided with compensation and the seized kerosene would be handed over to the customs office.