Rautahat, September 14

The indefinite general strike called by United Democratic Madhesi Front for the past 31 days has shut down all government offices in Rautahat headquarters Gaur, hitting service seekers hard.

Gaur-based government offices, including DDC, Land Revenue, Land Reform, Land Survey, District Education, Irrigation, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Gaur Municipality, Gaur Customs, Small and Cottage Industry have pulled down their shutters for 31 days.

Since UDMF enforced the strike, government staffers including office chiefs have left for their homes. Some offices have been padlocked, while others have office assistants. Many service seekers coming from remote areas are forced to return home empty-handed.

Bharat Babu Subedi, district education officer at Rautahat, who is in the capital, admitted that DEO employees had abstained from reporting to the office to avert untoward incident as the DAO had declared prohibitory order at the headquarters. Subedi added that DEO had asked one section officer to undertake the very essential work at the office.

Local people have been denied their right to financial transaction as banks and financial institutions, including Nepal Bank Limited, Rastriya Banijya Bank, NIC Asia, Sunrise, Janata, and Bank of Kathmandu have pulled down their shutters due to the prolonged bandh.

Rautahat CDO Madan Bhujel admitted that indefinite general strike had adversely affected government offices. He urged government chiefs and other staffs to report to work. He also appealed to agitating parties to withdraw their agitation as it had hit the public hard.

Government offices, market places, transport services, financial institutions, educational institutions at Gaur, Shivnagar, Garuda, Katahariya, Gangapira, Harsada, Dumariya too have pulled down their shutters for a month.

Meanwhile, DAO has given continuity to the prohibitory order at Gaur Municipality and road section of Gaur-Chandranigahapur along the East-West Highway.