The District Administration Office, Rukum (East) has imposed a prohibitory order in Rukumkot since Sunday after the protests led by the locals to secure district headquarters’ status turned violent. 

The residents of Rukumkot, the temporary district headquarters, have been staging protest rallies demanding that their town be named the permanent district headquarters.

A Cabinet decision on January 25, 2018 had named Golkhada as the permanent headquarters of Rukum (East), prompting protests in Rukumkot.

However, the Supreme Court on February 1, 2018 had issued an interim order not to implement the Cabinet decision. The final hearing of the case has been scheduled for February 10, 2019. Chief District Officer Mitralal Sharma of the DAO said the prohibitory order has been imposed specifically to maintain order in Rukumkot.

The prohibitory order, however, has made life difficult for many locals and travellers.

Pal Singh Sunar of Bhume Rural Municipality-3 said, “The situation these days is akin to the days of Maoist insurgency.”

Rukum East was identified as a district on October 5, 2017. The new district plunged into a dispute over naming the district headquarters within six months of its formation.

Meanwhile, the Golkhada residents have also launched their own struggle to retain the status of district headquarters, as decided by the government.

Puniraj Gharti, a member of Golkhada Struggle Committee, said they tried to submit a memorandum to the DAO on Wednesday, demanding authorities to implement the Cabinet’s decision, but they were barred by the protesters in Rukumkot. “We were barred from reaching the CDO’s office. Police intervened as well,” he said.