The residents of Rukumkot in East Rukum have started protest after the Cabinet on Thursday decided to shift the district headquarters to Golkhara in Puthauttarganga Rural Municipality-12. The agitated protesters have shut down markets and padlocked government offices, including the District Administration Office, for the past two days. In the past, the government had declared Rukumkot as the temporary district headquarters of Rukum (East). People have started demonstrations in Rukmukot and blocked road networks. They picketed the government offices and burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Friday. Bhubaneshwor Upadhaya, a local man of Sisne Rural Municipality, said that the government has done injustice to them. “The Deuba government has stirred an unnecessary dispute in the district,” he blamed. Tarak Bahadur Shah, 73, of Sisne added that they had long been demanding the government make Rukumkot the district headquarters. “Rukumkot has all the infrastructure to set up government offices,” he said. Chief District Officer Bhupendra Sapkota said the vehicular movement had come to a halt in Rukumkot after the government decision. “The demonstrators have been picketing the DAO from Thursday evening,” said CDO Sapkota, adding that the Home Ministry has directed to adopt necessary security alertness due to the situation. Except for the Distrist Court, all the other government offices have been padlocked here,” said CDO Sapkota. On the other hand, people living in Golkahara are delighted at the government announcement to make their area the district headquarters. Tejendra Budha Magar, a local, said Golkhara is a convenient location for all people in the district. “It’s a great achievement for us,” he said. Kesharman Roka, former lawmaker and Nepali Congress leader, said people living in eastern part of Rukum are happy with Cabinet’s decision. “The temporary district headquarters was inconvenient location for all. We can take locals’ houses on rent to set up offices in Golkahara,” he said. Locals stage protest for administrative centre in Achham ACHHAM: Locals of Mujabagar in Rama Roshan Rural Municipality, Achham has been in protest since Thursday after the village assembly voted to make Gairikhet the administrative centre of the rural municipality. Of the total 35 votes, 20 votes were cast in favour of Gairikhet. However, rejecting the election result, people of Mujabagar have padlocked the rural municipal office. They have also shut down market and obstructed vehicular movement from Thursday in protest. (PR) जिल्ला सदरमुकाम सार्ने निर्णय गरिएपछि रुकुमकोटबासी आन्दोलीत भएका छन् । देशको कान्छो जिल्लाको मान्यता पाएको रुकुम पूर्वको सदरमुकाम अन्यत्रै सार्ने मन्त्रिपरिषद्को निर्णय गलत भएको भन्दै रुकुम पूर्वको सदरमुकाम रुकुमकोट र त्यस आसपासका सर्वसाधारण आन्दोलीत भएका हुन् । बिहीबार बेलुकी बसेको मन्त्रिपरिषद्को बैठकले सिस्ने गाउँपालिका–५ र ६, रुकुमकोटमा रहेको सदरमुकाम पुथाउत्तरगंगा गाउँपालिका–१२, को गोलखाडामा सार्ने निर्णय गरेको छ । उक्त निर्णयको विरोधमा रुकुमकोटबासीले बिहीबार रातिदेखि जिल्ला प्रशासन कार्यालय घेराउ गरेका छन् भने राति मसाल जुलुस पनि निकालेका थिए । रुकुमकोटबाट जिल्ला सदरमुकाम गोलखाडा सार्न नदिन सडक अवरुद्ध गरेको स्थानीय केशवचन्द्र समालले बताए । ‘सबैलाई न्याय हुने गरी भएको सदरमुकाम अन्यत्रै सार्नु भनेको जनतालाई दु:ख दिनु हो,’ उनले भने, ‘यस विरुद्ध हामी जिल्लाबासी आन्दोलीत भएका छौं ।’ राति नै आवश्यक सरसामान सार्नसक्ने भन्दै कतिपय स्थानीय रातिदेखि नै जिल्ला प्रशासन कार्यालयको प्रांगणमा बसेका छन् भने कतिपय सडकमै बसेका छन् । उनीहरुले रुकुमकोट प्रवेश र रुकुमकोटबाट बाहिरीने सबै सडक बन्द गरेका छन् । रुकुमकोटस्थित जिल्ला अदालत बाहेक सम्पूर्ण सरकारी कार्यालयमा बिहानै तालाबन्दी गरिएको छ । प्रधामन्त्री शेरबहादुर देउवाको पुत्ला दहन गर्ने तयारी गरिरहेका छन् । प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारी भूपेन्द्र सापकोटाले आफू सर्वसाधारणको घेराबन्दीमा परेको बताए । ‘म मन्त्रिपरिषद्को निर्णय बाहिर आउन वित्तिकै घेराबन्दीमा छु,’ प्रजिअ सापकोटाले भने, ‘रातभर सुत्न पनि पाइएको छैन, निर्णयको विरोधमा सर्वसाधारणहरु बाटो बन्द गरेर बस्नुभएको छ ।’ २०७२ साल असोज ३ गते जारी भएको संविधानमा साविकको रुकुम जिल्लालाई दुई छुट्टाछुट्टै प्रदेशमा राखिएको थियो । गत असोज २० गतेदेखि रुकुम पूर्वले छुट्टै जिल्लाको रुपमा कामकाज गर्न थालेको थियो । रुकुमकोट साविक रुकुम जिल्लाको सदरमुकाम पनि थियो । २०१९ सालमा स्थापना भएको सदरमुकाम २०३० सालमा मुसीकोट सारिएको थियो । साविक जिल्लाको सदरमुकाम सारिएको ४४ बर्षपछि रुकुमकोटलाई छुट्टै जिल्लाको सदरमुकाम बनाइएपनि त्यो धेरै समय टिक्न नपाउने स्थिति आएको स्थानीयले बताएका छन् । यस अघिको सदरमुकाम जवरजस्त सारिएपनि अब भने कुनै पनि हालतमा सदरमुकाम सार्न नदिने भनाई उनीहरुको छ ।