UDAYPUR: People from several VDCs of Udaypur district on Monday organised a sit-in protest in the district administration office premises, putting forth various demands including the reopen of National Commercial Bank in Beltar.

A delegation of the dissidents also submitted a memorandum to CDO Mudhusudan Burlakot at the district administration office.

Earlier in 2002, among other banks, National Commercial Bank and Agriculture Development Bank were merged with banks in the district headquarters and Kanchanpur of adjoining Saptari district citing security reasons.

Chairman of the struggle committee Kumar Singh Karki said," The locals are faced with difficulties as there were no banks in the area." He said the locals had been facing problems collecting remittance, adding that the nonexistence of banks in the area had also taken its toll on business and industrial sectors.

Karki further claimed people of neigbouring Bhojpur, Khotang, Saptari and Sunsari would also be benefited if the banks were reopen in the area.