Rautahat, September 9:

Work in all government offices in Gaur, the district headquarters of Rautahat, was halted today at the call of health workers protesting the killing of one of their colleagues by a criminal gang.

Health workers in Rautahat are on war path to protest the killing of Suresh Yadav, Rautahat district chairman of Nepal Health Workers’ Association (NHWA), by an unidentified gang on Sunday while he was heading to Kheshariya VDC from Garuda. Yadav was also the in-charge of Inarwa sub-health post.

Nepal CMA Association, NHWA, Madhesi Health Workers’ Forum (MHWF) and Civil Servants’ Organisation (CSO) have called an indefinite health strike in the district since yesterday.

“Putting forward four demands, the agitating health workers struck work in all government offices,” said Radheshyam Jha district chairman of CSO.

“Civil servants are feeling insecure after Yadav’s murder. So we halted work in all government offices to press for security of all civil servants,” he said.

“Work in government offices will not resume until Yadav was declared a martyr, the culprits were booked, the bereaved family was compensated and security of civil servants was guaranteed,” he said.

Gaur-based government offices remained opened today, but the no work was carried out there.

The indefinite strike affected thousands of patients visiting health institutions across the district. However, emergency service at the district hospital was not shut.

Earlier, agitators took out a rally in Gaur and converged into a corner meeting at Sahid Chowk. Addressing the meeting, civil servants warned of halting work in all offices until the security was guaranteed for them.

CDO Shiv Prasad Nepal expressed deep sorrow over Yadav’s killing. He pledged to identify the killers and take stern action against them.

Several political parties condemned Yadav’s killing. Issuing separate press releases, Shree Ram Yadav of the Nepali Congress, Shyam Sundar Patel of the CPN-UML, Anil Singh of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party, Uday Narayan Jha of the CPN-Samyukta and Babu Lal Shah of the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party condemned the killing.