National
Thousands of cargo trucks stranded on border
Various Madhes-based parties continued their protest programme at various border points across the country on Monday as well.Various Madhes-based parties continued their protest programme at various border points across the country on Monday as well.
The sit-in protest of Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha supporters in front of Biratnagar Customs Office entered its fourth day. At Sunauli border, the Morcha supporters continued to block the cross-border movement. A separate group of locals, meanwhile, staged a protest against the blockade.
The situation at the border point remained tense throughout the day. The Morcha protesters also staged a sit-in at the no-man’s-land. After the sit-in programme they headed towards India.
People are reeling under the shortage of daily essentials, including cooking gas and petroleum products, due to the protest and the ongoing blockade on import of goods from the Indian side.
Birgunj border point in Parsa has been blocked for five days due to the sit-in staged by the Morcha. Police on Monday intervened the sit-in programme at Miteri bridge along Nepal-India border. The protesters then moved towards the Indian side and continued their sit-in there. The protesters obstructed the movement of all cargo trucks at Birgunj customs point. Around 2,000 cargo trucks are stranded at Raxaul for the past six days due to the ongoing protest.
Chief of Bhairahawa Customs Office Lawanya Kumar Dhakal said some trucks carrying vegetables and fruits were allowed to enter.
The undeclared blockade by India continued at Jogbani border point as well. Several trucks laden with goods have been stranded on the Indian side. Biratnagar Customs informed that there are around 100 tankers filled with petroleum products stopped at the border point. Indian authorities have beefed up security along the border after the District Magistrate of Aarariya and some officials inspected the border point.
The Indian security forces also stopped the cargo vehicles at Rupaidiha border point, preventing them from entering Nepal through Nepalgunj customs point. Chief District Officer of Banke Bed Prakash Lekhak said Indian security forces stopped all tankers filled with petroleum products at the border point. Only about a dozen trucks carrying potatoes, tomatoes and limestone were given entry, Lekhak said.
The Indian officials also have tightened the movement of cargo trucks at Gaddachauki, the western border point in Kanchanpur. Chief of Kanchanpur Customs Office Ram Prasad Regmi said the Indian border security force, Seema Surakshya Bal (SSB), has completely obstructed the border point for an hour on Monday.
Our correspondent in Bardiya said the SSB prohibited Nepali citizens from entering Baharaich without citizenship. The Indian authorities also obstructed the tankers filled with petroleum products at Gauriphanta border point in Kailali district. Chief of Kailali Customs Office Man Bahadur BK said the Indian side only released a few trucks laden with vegetables and fruits.
Meanwhile, the supporters of Tharuhat Struggle Committee torched a passenger bus (Se 1 Kha 1017) in Kailali district. The bus was heading from Dhangadi to Beli village, police said.
We’ll block Nepal-China border: Yadav
ITAHARI: Chairman of Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal Upendra Yadav has said that the protesters will soon obstruct the border points that Nepal shares with China. “After bringing the border points with India to a complete halt we will obstruct the border points with China as well,” said Yadav while addressing a protest rally at Duhabi, Sunsari, on Monday. He added that Madhesi people had obstructed border points with India and Janajatis would do the same in Nepal-China border points.
LPG cylinders looted
MAHOTTARI: A group of masked men looted 100 cooking gas cylinders near Raghunathpur Bazaar in Mahottari on Sunday night.
The motorcycle-borne gang intercepted a vehicle ferrying the LPG cylinders to Sarlahi, chased the persons in the vehicle and drove away.
The vehicle was found at Sonma-6, north from Raghunathpur Bazaar, on Monday.
Sunil Kumar Sah, the tractor owner, said the assailants also looted Rs 65,000 cash and his mobile phones. He said that the looters came in seven or eight motorcycles whose number plates were daubed with mud.
(With inputs from our local correspondents)