[Updated]
The residents of Mahuregadhi village in Khotang obstructed Mid-hill Highway on Saturday after the Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC) submitted its report to the government, proposing to split Mahuregadhi from a village council.
The technical committee of the LLRC has proposed to make Mahuregadhi the centre for Buipa, Bijayakharka, Rajapani, Nunthala, Kharpa and Kubhinde VDCs.
Lawmaker Pancha Karna Rai said they launched a protest after the commission sent the report going beyond the recommendation made by the technical team in the district. He accused the commission of trying to disturb the communal harmony by separating Mahuregadhi in Majhkirat.
Protests have also been launched in Hauchur, Kubhinde, and Kharpa against the commission’s decision, with locals vowing to not back off until the commission revised the report to make a Mahuregadhi village council. The technical committee has proposed 10 village councils and two municipalities in the district.
जिल्लाबाट सिफारिस भएको महुरेगढी गाउँलाई पुनर्संरचना आयोगले हटाएर सरकारलाई प्रतिवेदन पेस गरेको भन्दै स्थानीयले शनिबार मध्यपहाडी लोकमार्गमा यातायात अवरुद्ध गरेका छन् ।
पुनर्संरचना आयोगले जिल्लाबाट सिफारिस गरेको विपरीत बुइपा, नुनथला र विजयखर्क गाविसलाई रुपाकोट मझुवागढी नगरपालिकामा राखेको, रुपाकोट मझुवागढी नगरपालिकामा समेटिएको हौचुर गाविसलाई लामीडाँडा केन्द्रमा राखिएको र ऐंसेलुखर्क गाउँपालिकामा समेटिएको दुबेकोल र डुम्रेधारापानीलाई पनि लामीडाँडा केन्द्रमा राखिएकाले आन्दोलन गरिएको सांसद पाँचकर्ण राईले बताए । ‘
यातायात अवरुद्धपछि हजारौं यात्रु अलपत्र परेका छन् । यात्रुको व्यवस्थापनका लागि प्रयास भइरहेको प्रहरी नायव उपरीक्षक नविनकिशोर प्रधानले बताए । माग पूरा नभइन्जेलसम्मका लागि आन्दोलन सुरु गरेकाले त्यसबाट पर्न गएको असुविधाप्रति आन्दोलनकारीले याचना गरेका छन् । अपायक पर्ने ठाउँमा केन्द्र राखेकाले हौचुर, कुभिण्डे, खार्पाका सर्वसाधारण पनि आन्दोलनमा सहभागी भएका छन् ।
Update....
Jan 11, 2017- Locals in Mahuregadhi of Khotang district continued their protest against the Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC)’s proposal on the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday.
Normal life in the district has been crippled with the vehicular movement being halted for the past few days. The protesters obstructed the Mid-Hill and Sagarmatha Highways in the district to press the government to address their demands.
The locals have been demanding to grant village council status to Mahuregadhi, with the villagers of Dumredharapani and Dubekol now jointing forces with them.
On Tuesday, the protesters burnt the effigies of LLRC chief Balananda Paudel and member Shyam Bhurtel. They claimed that the LLRC changed the local technical committee’s recommendation and made Kharpa the centre of the proposed village council under the influence of former secretaries Padam Pokharel and Bhojraj Pokharel—the natives of Kharpa.
The LLRC’s technical committee had earlier recommended Mahuregadhi as the centre of the proposed village council comprising Buipa, Bijayakharka, Rajapani, Nunthala, Kharpa and Kubhinde VDCs.
The agitators vandalised an LP truck (Na 4 Kha 6200) in the Mahuregadhi area for defying the strike. Despite orders from Chief District Officer Chandra Bahadur Karki, they carried on with the strike vowing to continue it until their demand is addressed.
The transportation has been disrupted for the past four days, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded on the highways. Patients have been hit hard due to the protracted protest. People are compelled to charter helicopters to ferry the patients in serious condition.
