Chitwan, January 30:

The Maoists are collecting donations from vehicles plying on the East-West highway by erecting barricades at different places to provide ‘relief’ to the victims of Badarmude incident.

Maoist chairman Prachanda had expressed commitment to provide relief to the Badarmude victims when he visited Chitwan in June.

The Maoist cadres started collecting donations by setting up barricades on the highway from today “as per the party’s decision to collect funds in five districts of the Narayani zone” in central Nepal.

They have set up barricades at Gondrang in Bharatpur and Aptari on the East-West highway to collect donations.

The Maoists said they were collecting voluntary donation from buses, trucks and light vehicles.

Collection of relief was initiated as per the decision of Maoists’ Narayani Regional

Bureau, Maoists’ Chitwan in-charge and member of the bureau, Pathik, said.

The victims had made 10-point demands, including relief to the victims, treatment of the injured, job for the family of victims and action against the guilty during Prachanda’s visit.

The Maoists’ donation campaign will last till February 4.

Thirty-eight persons, including three soldiers of the Nepali Army, were killed and 70 passengers injured at Badarmude (Chitwan) when the Maoists planted bomb in a passenger bus bound for Bharatpur from Madi of Chitwan in 2004.