Khotang, November 16

Residents from half-a-dozen village development committees of Khotang held a meeting today in Dumredharapani to protest the unfavourable provisions in the proposed model of the local bodies’ restructuring model.

Speaking at the event in Dharapani Secondary School, Phatik Kumar Shrestha, coordinator of the committee for the cause, described the protest as a compulsion since the technical committee had paid no heed to their demands during the restructuring. Furthermore, Shrestha bemoaned the provision of keeping adjoining VDCs in separate village assemblies.

He threatened to continue the protest until their demands were met. Locals of Lamidanda, Kharpa, Kubhinde, Hauchur, Dumredharapani and Dubekol were present at the meeting today.

According to yet another struggle committee member Pradip Kumar Karki, all government offices, schools and organisations of the VDCs have been shut indefinitely in protest of the unfavourable restructuring model proposed, since Tuesday, when a corner meeting was organised at Thulo Ahal of Lamidanda, where various speakers had pledged to intensify their agitation to get their concerns addressed.

The locals of Hauchur, Kubhinde, Kharpa, Lamidanda and Dumredharapani had reportedly formed a struggle committee on August 6, proposing a Rawabesi village assembly with Kubhinde’s Haramtar as its centre. “As the proposed restructuring undermined our concerns, we were forced to resort to protest,” Shrestha said.

As per the restructuring model proposed by the technical committee, Lamidanda and Hauchur VDCs will be kept in the proposed Halesi Tuwachung Municipality and Pakot Majhuwa Municipality respectively.