A taskforce formed  to investigate the Dhading District Forest Office’s attempt to demolish the buildings of Radio Dhading and the women’s shelter, Sneha Kendra, has inspected the wrecked buildings located in Neelkantha Municipality.

A three-member taskforce, led by Under Secretary Ganesh Jha of the Forest Ministry, also met with the staff of the radio and the women’s shelter and inquired about the incident. The taskforce was formed after the incident drew flak from various quarters, becoming a talking point in Parliament.

“We will also hold talks with the chief district officer, chief of the security agencies, local media representatives and other stakeholders before reaching our conclusion,” Jha said. The taskforce has 10 days to probe the incident and submit its report.

On September 23, the DFO, Dhading, had used a bulldozer to tear down the buildings of Radio Dhading and Sneha Kendra, claiming that the two facilities were built on an encroached forest land belonging to Amarawati Community Forest.

Radio Dhading, which resumed broadcast two days after the incident, suspended its service on Tuesday following the instruction from the local administration.

“We will resume broadcast after moving our studio to another building,” said Shankar Shrestha, the news chief of the radio. The women’s shelter, meanwhile, has been moved to an apartment.

Women’s rights defenders have urged the government to probe the incident and

take action against the

DFO officials for demolishing the shelter without prior notice while people were still inside.

They have also drawn the attention of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and various government ministries about the incident.