Rajbiraj, November 15:

The strike launched by physicians of the Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital

continued for the second day today.

Accusing the local administration of not pulling down the Laxminarayan Hospital, which is being built on the hospital premises, the agitators shut all wards, except the emergency ward, today as well.

Representatives of 10 parties, the Chief District Officer and the Superintendent of Police had held a meeting on the issue of temple construction on Thursday. The participants had agreed to pull down the temple yesterday. “The local administration did not help us when we tried to raze the temple,” Dr Murali Prasad Singh, medical superintendent of the hospital, said. “We went to pull down the temple yesterday morning, but the police did nothing even when a group of people, who wanted the temple built, abused us.” He blamed the Saptari CDO, Ram Bilas Raya, for not doing the needful.

However, CDO Raya said the people, who were for building the temple, had evidence to prove that they were the owners of the land.

“We have told them to stop construction work for the time being,” he said. “We will first resolve the

dispute over ownership of the land.”

Meanwhile, medical superintendent Singh said they would not resume services till the temple was pulled down.

President of the Temple Construction Committee Dipendra Kumar Chaudhary said the land was registered in the name of Samjhadevi Yadav and Ramji Shah.