A forest officer at Area Forest Office in Katari, Udayapur, was assaulted in front of federal and provincial lawmakers and representatives of Katari Municipality on Saturday. Federal parliamentarian Suresh Kumar Rai, Province Assembly member Kala Ghale and Katari Municipality Mayor Gyanendra Shrestha reportedly made no effort to intervene as Under Secretary Narayan Shrestha was being assaulted. The group, including the parliamentarian and the municipal mayor, had stormed into Under Secretary Narayan’s office to protest the arrest of two dozer operators, who were caught digging a road through a national forest. In the disorder that ensued, the under secretary claimed three men kicked him in his chest. Katari Mayor Gyanendra Shrestha said that the people were enraged at the forest official for obstructing the development activity carried out by the local government. The Area Forest Office had detained dozer operators Tulasi Budhathoki and Kashiraj Katuwal while they were constructing road through a national forest in Katatri-1. Forest officials say the road was being constructed without meeting due process. Under Secretary Narayan has reached Gaighat, the district headquarters, after the