Protests in Doti have continued for the past three weeks to press the government to name Dipayal, the district headquarters, as the capital of Province 7.

After enforcing a general strike for 13 consecutive days, the protesters have been staging sit-in and hunger strike these days. 

Tej Dumrel, Dabal Saud and Khagendra Bhatta have been staging a relay hunger strike to draw the government’s attention towards their demand.

On Sunday, they had submitted a memorandum of their demand to the government through the Regional Administration Office.

Similarly, civil society leaders, businesspersons, representatives of the local units and representatives of several social organisations have also been staging a sit-in outside the Far-western Regional Administration Office.

Narendra Khadka, coordinator of the protest committee, claimed that some senior leaders were actively pressuring the government not to make Dipayal the capital of Province 7.

The ongoing protest in Doti, he said, was to warn the government not to be influenced by the vested interests of some political leaders.

The people of Doti has contended that Dipayal is the only suitable place to be a state capital in whole of Province 7 as it is centrally located and equipped with all necessary infrastructures.