Writ against ward member for smuggling river products

Kavre, June 10

A writ has been filed at Patan High Court against Manoj Shrestha, chair of Ward No 8 of Bhumlu Rural Municipality, Kavre,  and two others for smuggling river products from the banks of the Sunkoshi River.

The writ was filed today by construction entrepreneur Rabi Tamang of Sindhupalchowk, who has accused Chair of  Ward No 8,  Bhumlu Rural Municipality of showing high-handedness and preventing him from excavating from the sites he was permitted to.

Bhumlu Rural Municipality in March had awarded contract to Amisa Construction Service Pvt Ltd of Sindhupalchowk to mine river products from Dumre Bagar, Banadeu Bagar and Sisneri Bagar and Haribot on the banks of the Sunkoshi and Indrawati rivers.

The company had paid 22.6 million rupees for the same.

“He called himself ward chair and sought 80 per cent of the contract amount in commission saying he would create conducive environment for me to work. When I refused to oblige, he vandalised the equipment and vehicles at the sites by using his goons. Ever since, they’ve prevented me from mining,” read the writ filed by Tamang.

Further, Tamang has accused Shrestha and his two accomplices, namely Pradip Majhi and Bishwas Shrestha, of causing him a loss of around 3.5 million rupees through extortion and by mining river products from the sites he had won through contracts.

Bhumlu RM chairperson Gumandhwoj Kunwar admitted that Amisa Construction Service Pvt. Ltd. had won the mining contract on the river banks here.

“It’s true that Tamang’s company was contracted to carry out the mining. Our job is to issue the permission; it’s up to the contractor how he will work,” said the rural municipality Chair Kunwar.