Normal life in Dang district has been hit-hard due to an indefinite general strike called demanding the district be declared provincial capital of Province 5.

The strike since Wednesday has further intensified after government declared Butwal as temporary capital of the province. Protestors have said they would continue their strike until the district was declared provincial capital.

Transportation, vehicular movement, educational institute, industries have remained shut due to the strike. District headquarters Ghorai and other major towns including Tulsipur, Lamahi, Gadwa, Bhaluwang have also remained closed.

Protestors have expressed their ire towards leaders elected during the recently concluded elections for failing in their election agenda to declare Dang as provincial capital. Political leaders, however, seek a safe landing and blame the government and criticise its decision to declare Butwal as capital.

CPN (Maoist Center) leader and Dang constituency 2 lawmaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara blamed Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government had ignored the recommendation made by Administration Reconstruction Commission to declare provincial capital.

CPN-UML and Dang-2 Provincial House member Shankar Pokharel said the government had already lost the people's mandate and now has lost its conscience to declare provincial capital. Pokharel said it was unfortunate that the government had gone against the recommendation made by a taskforce it formed to recommend provincial capital.

Nepali Congress leader and State Minister for Labour Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary also expressed his dissatisfaction towards the government's decision. He said government had turned deaf ear to his continuous effort to declare Dang as provincial capital.