Pokhara/Rautahat, March 16, 2006

The Maoist-called blockade has led to shortage of petrol in Pokhara even though the NOC fuel depot at Ganandanda in Leknath has sufficient petrol. In normal days the depot sells 24,000 litres of petrol to local pumps daily. Navin Baral, chairperson of the Gandaki and Dhawalagiri Petroleum Dealers’ Association, said they could not ensure the supply of petrol as oil tanker entrepreneurs did not come in contact. In Mahottari, though the blockade was only in the district headquarters, market areas in Bardibas, Gaushala and Balawa were also affected with no vehicles plying on the Mahendra Highway and Banepa-Jaleshwor road. In Sindhupalchowk, even the ambulances could not ply on the road. Maoists have obstructed the Araniko Highway, the Helambu Highway and Bandeu-Chutara section of the road by felling trees and piling stones on the road. One Gauri Dahal of Shikharpur VDC, who fell sick all of a sudden, could not be taken to hospital as Maoists have obstructed the road, her husband Khilanath said. The blockade affected normal life across the country with very few vehicles plying on almost all the highways. Passengers were compelled to walk to their destinations due to the halt in transport services.

NC for House revival through agitation

Kathmandu, March 16, 2006

At an informal closed-door meeting today held at the Nepali Congress supremo Girija Prasad Koirala’s residence at Maharajgunj, the party decided to revive the House of Representatives on the “strength” of the ongoing mass movement and go for constituent assembly. While the party leaders and the Maoist leaders in New Delhi have reportedly agreed to go for constituent assembly, a leader conceded that the process and procedures on the same have not been spelt out. “This is likely to be discussed and revealed after the all-party meeting soon,” a party source conceded. The NC has, however, not closed the doors to the revival of the HoR by the King or the Supreme Court (SC). A leader at the meeting conceded Koirala as saying that he was still firm on his stance of restoration of the Parliament. Party central member Sujata Koirala told The Himalayan Times, “Nepali Congress is firm on the demand of House revival.” This, she said, can be on the “strength” of the mass movement, if the King “continued to ignore” the demands of the parties. Sujata added, “Crises can be resolved within days if the King took initiatives, called political parties or the Maoists for dialogue.” Party leader Arjun Narsingh KC told this daily that the meeting discussed on making the Kathmandu-centred mass movement beginning April 6 more effective. A source, however, said that the leaders in New Delhi have agreed to make the demand of constituent assembly as the one and only agenda of the mass movement.