Rukum, April 7

Residents of Rukumputha Uttarganga Rural Municipality today warned of disrupting the electoral process, if Taksera was not made the centre of the rural municipality.

Locals agitating for the past six months warned of boycotting the polls and disrupting all election-related activities if the government does not meet their demands.

The locals argued that Taksera is the only place suitable to be made centre for Rukumputhha Uttarganga Rural Municipality that has six VDCs.  Taksera Struggle Committee Coordinator Judhha Budha said they were forced to hit the streets as the centre was determined to go against the working procedure and criteria.

The committee submitted a memorandum, picketed the DDC and closed transport service. Taksera locals had chased away a government team that reached Kol VDC to inaugurate the rural municipality office there. The office of the rural municipality has not come into operation since then.

The government has not fixed the chief of the rural municipality yet. Tilak Rawat, acting chief of the rural municipality, said there was no way to go to the village to carry out his work.

The failure to operate the center has forced the locals of Uttarganga to visit Musikot. Locals said apathy on the part of the concerned government agencies in settling the dispute had complicated the issue.