RAJBIRAJ, OCTOBER 30
The relay hunger strike that has been under way for the past 18 days in Saptari's Rajbiraj continued today as well.
Locals have been organising the strike protesting the delay regarding the work of proposed Ramraja Prasad Singh Institute of Health and Sciences.
Led by a struggle committee led by Ram Kumar Das, the strike started on October 13 putting forward 5-point demand, including speedy work on the proposed institute, appointment of officials and staff necessary and allocation of budget for the same.
The work of the institute was officially launched 25 months ago. But, as the work has all but stopped, various leaders have met the hunger strikers and shown their support for their cause. Nagarik Unmukti Party's Reshamlal Chaudhary also reached the strike venue today to meet the protesters and express his solidarity.
"We had no alternative as the government has neglected to complete the project on time since it laid the foundation stone two years ago," said Das. "The project is to be completed and handed over in five years' time, but so far what they've done is just to install a board at the construction site, fencing the area and preparing the DPR, that's all."
The government, through a Council of Minister-level meeting five years back, had decided to construct Ramraja Prasad Singh Institute of Health and Sciences in Rajbiraj, the headquarters of Madhes Province, as per the policy of one health and science institute in every province.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had laid the foundation stone for the project more than 2 years later once the land for the project was finalised.
The total estimated cost for the institute is somewhere around 11.98 billion rupees.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 31, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
