Skip to main content

Local level restructuring dispute: Prolonged banda in Nuwakot affects farmers, quake victims


- Krishna Thapa
The indefinite banda in Nuwakot, enforced by the people of Likhu region to protest the report of the Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC), continued for the 10th consecutive day on Tuesday. 
The shutdown has mainly affected the farmers and the earthquake-affected families, as transportation service in the district is at a halt. Vegetable and dairy farmers have been unable to take their produces to the market while the earthquake victims have no way of transporting construction materials to rebuild their homes.
The villages, including Khanigaun, Chaughada, Suryamati, Thansingh, Kabilas, Ganeshsthan, Narjamandap, Kharanitar, Ralukadevi, Samudratar, Shikharbesi and Betini, have been hit hard.
The banda enforcers have allowed schools in the district to operate their classes from Monday. 
The people in Likhu region began protesting after the LLRC report did not incorporate their recommendation of granting Likhu a village council status. The protest took a violent turn on Friday, when the people from Likhu descended on the streets of Bidur, the district headquarters, on Friday. At least a dozen people were injured when police intervened in a demonstration outside the office of the District Development Committee. The demonstrators also vandalised the DDC building and misbehaved with some of its staff, causing the latter to stage a protest of their own demanding security. The employees at the DDC, the VDC offices and the municipality in Nuwakot halted their works on Tuesday to protest Friday’s incident.
Meanwhile, the agitating people in Likhu region have said that they will continue their protest and the banda in the district until the government assures them that the LLRC report would be revised to accommodate their demand.
Against the recommendation of the Likhu inhabitants, the LLRC report has proposed incorporating Chaughada VDC, Thansingh VDC, Suryamati VDC, and Khanigaun VDC under separate village councils and a municipality. 
People in Belkotgadhi region have also begun a protest demanding a municipality status. The LLRC report has suggested incorporating Belkotgadhi under two village councils, namely Belkot and Kolpukhola. A delegation representing the Belkotgadhi people submitted a memorandum of their demand to the District Administration Office on Monday. 
The Belkotgadhi residents have accused the LLRC of disregarding the suggestion of its technical committee to grant the region a municipality status. 
Published: The Kathmandu Post

25-01-2017

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

India Government raises grant for Nepal by 17 percent

India Government raises grant for Nepal by 17 percent The Indian government has pledged to extend 17 percent more in financial aid to Nepal in the next fiscal year, indicating greater enthusiasm of the southern neighbour to support the landlocked country’s development endeavours. The Indian government has allocated a grant of IRs3.75 billion (Rs6 billion) for Nepal in 2017-18, as against IRs3.20 in 2016-17. The allocation was made through the Union Budget 2017-18 launched by Indian Finance Minister Arjun Jaitely on Wednesday.  In addition to the amount, India has also pledged to extend a grant of IRs113.30 million to Nepal Police Academy in 2017-18, the Indian budget document says. The grant pledged for Nepal in 2017-18 is second highest among South Asian countries, with Bhutan leading the pack. The Indian government has expressed commitment to extend IRs37.14 billion in grant to Bhutan in 2017-18. The amount, however, is 4 percent lower than in 2016-17. In total, Ind...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nepal to discuss new power trade guidelines with India

The Energy Ministry is planning to hold talks with the Indian Power Ministry over its recently issued discriminatory guidelines on cross-border power trade which prohibit private and third country hydropower developers in Nepal from exporting electricity to India with a one-time approval. According to the Guidelines on Cross-Border Trade of Electricity published by the Indian government last Monday, only companies in Nepal which are wholly owned by the Indian government or the public sector, or private companies with a 51 percent or higher Indian stake would be eligible to export power to India. These companies will be given a one-time approval to sell power to India, according to the guidelines. Also, companies owned or controlled by the Nepali government will be allowed to sell power to India after getting a one-time approval from the Indian authorities, according to the new rules. However, private companies owned by Nepali or third country developers wishing to export power to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Protests, clashes in Province 5 districts over demarcations

With the government bent on tabling the constitution amendment bill in parliament, protests have intensified again in various districts of western and mid-western regions after a gap of few days. Protests that had been toned down earlier in view of the hardships caused to the locals, have now been intensified from Friday with an announcement of a three-day general strike in all districts of Province 5. 'Joint struggle committees' comprising leaders of major political parties in the districts--Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Rukum, Rolpa, Pyuthan, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi and Palpa--announced the strike against government preparations to table the amendment proposal in parliament. The strike has largely affected vehicular movement while schools, government offices, factories and markets remained closed.  Tensions ran high in Gulmi, Nepalgunj of Banke and Rolpa after the protestors prevented locals from using all kinds of vehicles. Over 24 prot...
Post a Comment
Read more