Dhangadi, June 19

Locals today protested Jorayal Rural Municipality’s decision to provide Rs one million to make a feature film in Doti.

A meeting of the rural municipality’s assembly held on June 10 had decided to provide Rs one million to make a movie titled Sanglo featuring Biraj Bhatta in the leading role. The locals protested the decision saying that tax collected from the people could not be given to an individual to make a film.

Local Prashant Wali said the decision was grossly flawed. “The decision to provide Rs one million from the fund collected in tax from the public is an insult to those people whose hard-earned money was collected as tax,” Wali said, adding, “People do not have drinking water, they do not have good school and road. Money should be used to provide these facilities to people.”

Another local Rakesh Malla Thakuri said the rural municipality was misusing the state coffers by making such a reckless decision. “The decision to allocate money for film making while people are suffering myriads of problems is unbecoming of the local level government,” Thakuri said.

A source said rural municipality Chair Durga Ojha too had a role in the film. Some locals from Jorayal have also acted in the film. Ojha, however, claimed that the decision was taken by the majority of the local levels’ assembly. He defended the decision saying that the movie produced with the help of the local level would promote Jorayal area since the movie was largely set in Jorayal.  “The decision to provide Rs one million for the movie is good as it will help develop Jorayal as a tourist destination,” he added.