Locals launch relay hunger strike demanding Birgunj as provincial capital

Birgunj, January 5

The struggle committee, which was staging demonstration demanding Birgunj as the capital for Province 2, started relay hunger strike at Ghantaghar, Parsa, today.

The locals started the hunger strike after rumours floated that Janakpur would be declared the temporary headquarters of Province 2. Political leaders, activists and youth groups of Bara and Parsa have formed a joint struggle committee to exert pressure on the government to declare Birgunj as the provincial capital.

Birgunj Metropolitan City Mayor Bijaya Kumar Sarawagi expressed his solidarity with the people sitting on relay hunger strike.

Sarwagi also said the executive body meeting of the metropolitan city had decided to recommend Birgunj as the provincial capital of Province 2. “The decision to recommend Birgunj as the provincial capital was taken of considering the infrastructure of the city that includes Nijgadh International Airport, Kathmandu-Nijgadh fast track, dry port nearby the fast track, Birgunj Industrial Corridor, sufficient number of buildings for the provincial offices and other purposes,” claimed the mayor.

He was of the opinion that it would be cost friendly if Birgunj was declared the provincial capital.

“We will leave no stone unturned to exert pressure on the government and all the newly elected provincial and parliamentary members for the same,” he said.

Nepali Congress leader and former minister Surendra Chaudhary, CPN-UML Basaruddhin Ansari, Shambhu Gupta, youth leader Om Prakash Sarraf, CPN-Maoist Centre leader Durga Chhetri, Birgunj Youth Society chairperson Kamal Chaulagain and other leaders Rudral Thakur, Sanjaya Sarraf, Mahammud Ansari, Brijesh Chaudhary, Ranju Dahal are in relay hunger strike. They claimed that their hunger strike would continue until Birgunj was declared the provincial capital.