Surendra Kafle

Nepalgunj, January 7:

Works in all the government offices of the districts of Banke and Bardiya have stalled following the Maoist threats to do so. The office chiefs have accepted that they had decided to suspend the service despite assurance of security by the security authority.

The offices suspending the works include the Land Revenue Office (LRO), District Survey Office (DSO), Municipality and DDC among others. Speaking at an interaction programme held in Nepalgunj today to discuss methods to resume work, the government office chiefs said insecurity had affected their services. Chudamani Sharma, the In-land Revenue Office (IRO) chief asked how the staffs would be able to serve the people when they felt insecured.

Janak Raj Panta, the LRO executive officer said the staffs had their morale down because of the continuous threats from the Maoists. He asked the security forces along with human rights activists and media persons to get rid of the Maoist pressure. District Agriculture Development Officer Khalid Ahamad Khan said the agriculture sector was one of the worst affected sectors during the Maoist-called bandh. He explained, “The staffers have not been able to visit the villages and are forced to spend days in the office doing nothing.”

Accepting that the Maoist threats had affected banking sector, the head of the Rastriya Banijya Bank Regional office, Nepalgunj said the staffs were having difficult time. Despite the threats the bank branches were not completely closed except for Gulariya branch, he added. “The revenue collection has plunged by 10 to 15 per cent. The meter readers are unable to go the rural areas,” said Nepal Electricity Authority mid and far west regional director Ram Chandra Mandal said claimed his office was the worst hit the Maoists’ threats.

Ram Chandra Dhakal, the Local Development Officer said transparency and the proper coordination would help to continue the development works in the country.

Countering the statements by the government office chiefs, Banke SP Gyanod Raj Baidhya complained that the offices were closed despite the security assurances. He said, “The peons of the government offices outnumber the security persons.” Supporting SP Baidhya, Major Surya Khanal, the chief of RNA Kalidal Battalion, Nepalgunj said they had some difficulty due to small number of security persons in the region. But, the RNA is doing its best to provide security to everybody, he added.

Kaski DDC staff rejoin duties:

Pokhara:

Employees of the Kaski district development committee, the Pokhara Sub metropolitan City and the Lekhnath municipality, who resigned earlier after receiving Maoists’ threats, have returned to their duties from Friday. According to the acting local development officer, Lal Bahadur Thapa, the staffers returned to the work today after the administration issued them notice directing them not to be scared and resume works.

The staffers were in confusion after receiving warning notice from the administration and made up mind to return to duties only after the garbage cleaners resumed their duties from Thursday, an employee of the district development committee said. Similarly, all the staffers in the Lekhnath municipality have taken up their duties.

All normal works have begun in the municipality, said an employee Top Bahadur Baral.