Locals, police clash in Rauthat

GAUR, Apr 4: Over two dozen people, including security personnel, were injured when local people in Gaur, who have been protesting for the past three weeks against a government decision to establish branches of the District Land Revenue Office and the Survey Department Office in Chandranigahapur, clashed with police on Friday.

Police said they had to baton charge and lob tear gas shells to bring the situation under control after the protester, led by Rautahat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, vandalised Nepali Congress party office.

Though the Ministry of Land Reform and Management has already informed that the plan has been postponed, the locals have been demanding that the Cabinet should scrap the decision. “We want the decision to be annulled,” said Kantamani Jaiswal, Rautahat CCI president. “Mere postponement is not enough.”

The government had decided to set up branch offices in Chandranigahapur to provide services to people from 16 VDCs and a municipality in the area. Local authorities said their efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue has not been materialised.