Valley
Banda affects normal life; 83 held, freed
Normal life and traffic in Kathmandu Valley was partially affected on Wednesday due to banda called by the Road Expansion Struggle Committee.Normal life and traffic in Kathmandu Valley was partially affected on Wednesday due to banda called by the Road Expansion Struggle Committee.
The committee said the banda was called to pressure the authority concerned for working against the Supreme Court’s order to provide compensation to the families whose houses were pulled down to expand the roads in the Valley.
Police said 83 banda enforcers were arrested for obstructing the traffic in Kalimati, Gaushala, Bouddha, Maharagunj, Tokha, Kalanki, Gokarna, Jorpati, New Road, Jawalakhel and a few places in Bhaktapur. There were no reports of vandalism and the banda enforcers also allowed ambulance, vehicles delivering milk and drinking water to ply the roads.
Spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Range Office, Kathmandu, Superintendent of Police Pradyumna Karki said all the banda enforcers were released on Wednesday evening.
The banda had impacted Bhaktapur area the most as markets kept their shutters down throughout the day, while most of the educational institutions in the Valley remained closed.
According to police, half a dozen demonstrators were arrested from Kalimati area following a minor clash between police and demonstrators. They were later released.
Sajha Yatayat, however, operated all its 39 buses on all four routes from early morning till evening.