BAJURA: The cadres of Netra Bikram Chand (Biplav)-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) have intensified money extortion from businesspersons, civil servants and local representatives in rural areas of Bajura district.

Locals have complained that the party cadres have started collecting money from businesspersons and local representatives after the government banned the Party on March 12.

Budhiganga Municipality-10 ward chair Dharma Raj Joshi said that the party cadres asked him to donate one month's salary of Rs 22,000.

A teacher at Barhabis-based Sigada Secondary School informed that Chand-led party cadres collected a sum of Rs 8,000 from the school teachers. Likewise, a health professional informed that the CPN cadres collected a total of Rs 5,000 from a health facility at Triveni Municipality.

Under the condition of anonymity, a local businessman said that he was compelled to donate money.

However, Chief of Bajura District Police Office, Uddhav Singh Bhat said nobody reported of the money extortion.

Biplav-led CPN Bajura Secretary Bharat Thapa asserted that except for the corrupted ones, the party cadres have not forced anybody to pay but have requested for assistance. He said the party has extended its organisation structure dividing seven different areas in the district. Thapa also informed that the party has formed a 21-member District Committee.

The CPN has claimed that 147 out of 537 ex-Maoist combatants including the battalion commander are the party members.