Tanahun, May 12

Locals protested after seven containers with labourers and tobacco entered Surya Tobacco Company at midnight in Suklagandaki Municipality, Tanahun yesterday.

The locals have pressured the company not to resume work as there was high risk of COVID-19 spreading labourers gathering at the factory. They protested after the containers along with company manager Baburam Karki and other workers entered the company last night.

Indra Bahadur Gurung, a local, said the containers with labourers from Tarai districts might spread the virus in the villages. He added that the tobacco might have been brought from India even though it is claimed that the tobacco was brought from Bara.

Locals, Shiva Rana, Dan Bahadur Adhikari, Man Bahadur Shrestha and Kisan Gurung have pressured the municipality not to allow the company to resume operation. They met municipality Mayor Kisan Gurung and Deputy Mayor Sabita Rasaili and said the virus could spread in the locality as the workers and raw materials were brought from infected areas.

Chief Administrative Officer of the municipality Ganga Lal Subedi said the decision on whether or not company’s work should resume would be taken in coordination with the district administration.

CDO Badrinath Adhikari said he was unaware about the entry of containers. He added that the company’s work could not start without the local levels’ agreement. He said that no company would start operating without a decision of the local community and the local levels.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 13, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.