JHAPA, Dec 10: CPN-UML’s Lal Prasad Sanwa Limbu representing the left alliance won parliamentary seat from Jhapa constituency 4. He received 43,415 votes, while his closest contender Nepali Congress’s Deu Kumar Thebe 26,822 votes.

Similarly, CPN (Maoist Center)’s Jhalak Bahadur Magar representing the left alliance secured a Jhapa 4 ‘A’ Provincial Assembly seat with 17,256 votes. His closest rival NC’s Kiran Bhattarai received 14,481 votes.

UML’s Hira Bahadur Thapa won a Jhapa 4 ‘B’ Provincial Assembly seat with 24,901 votes. His nearest contender NC’s Uttam Kumar Sharma Subedi got 14,965 votes. RSS

Narayan Prasad Ghimire 
JHAPA, Dec 1: When monsoon arrives, panic and fear surround the hearts of people living nearby Ratuwa River in Jhapa. Rains give them sleepless nights. The problem is not new, but the people in the settlement have been going through the same fear for years. The river which is quieter these days turns violent in the rainy season and enters the human settlements driving residents away from their home.

People residing in the settlements nearby Ratuwa river wish to see the construction of embankment to it. But when? They do not know. They are disappointed to see political parties and leaders raising their issue as an election agenda before elections, but never living up to their promises to do something to control the river that displaces a large score of people every year.

They feel more pain as they come to realize that the political leaders, whom they elect and send to the capital in expectations that they would do something in respect to their ballots to address their problem, just played with their sentiments and cheated on them. Their high sounding words heard in every election campaign were just for garnering votes.

“It has been over a decade since one popular face in the national politics promised to take measures to control the flooding from the river, but he never realized the need to live up to his promise,” said the 46-year-old Anil Rasaili, a resident of Kamal Rural Municipality who runs a shop near highway, “Our problem is as it is.”

The people here are fed up with all political parties and their leaders and their promises. The unemployment problem is highly prevalence in the settlements, pushing some youths to drugs abuse. Political leaders just give them false assurances, they never think it necessary to take initiations to establish industry and create employment opportunities for them.

Saraswoti Giri backed Rasaili’s remarks and said, “Leaders never talk about small thing. They talk about the development of nation, but forget their promises after the election.”

Giri has complains over journalists as well. She expressed her discontent over journalists failing to expose their issues to public/media. People of the village– that lies to the north of the East-West Highway in Jhapa– are living with numorous problems only to be desperately waiting for some committed leaders to realize their situation and make some concrete efforts to solve them.

Raj Kumar Halawai who runs a tea shop in this rural municipality opines that Jhapa would probably be in the forefront in terms of development provided that laying a foundation is considered to be development.

They are surprised to see and hear tactics of leaders of left and democratic alliances to woo the voters. The leaders who are frequently seen in their localities with ‘false’ promises of better life for them before and during the election, stop caring about their issues once the election is over- this is what people feel here. People here who do not any know political ism and are engaged in politics are gripped by day to day problems.

Senior citizen Bed Kumari Ghimire of Chandragadhi, Jhapa shares that this time she has decided to vote a leader who is literally committed to addressing her problem she has been facing every day since many years.

“A flock of wild elephant passes through my house yard early in the morning. I cannot go down to the ground floor before 6:00 am, sometimes, I have to cry for help from security people, they sound the siren to chase wild animals away. But our leaders never talk about such problem we are facing every day.”

Ramji Dahal of Birtamod sharing about problems of his town said,” Condition of roadways is very poor. Roads are badly damaged. It may not be a real problem for visitors (like political leaders) but is a major issue for the locals.”

Likewise, inundation is another problem of the people of Birtamod. Not only geographical location (low land) is responsible for this problem, but haphazard land plotting done by land mafia has also fueled the problem. Flooding from the Biring, Aduwa, Kankaimai and Ninda Rivers displace many people here, rendering them homeless.

Youth leader Bishwa Prakash Sharma, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, CPN-UML Chair and former prime minister KP Sharma Oli, CPN (Maoist Center) leader Ram Karki, RPP leader Rajendra Lingden are in the election fray for the federal parliament from the district, but we have to wait to see how they will address the issues of locals here.

The second and final phase of the elections to the House of Representatives and State Assemblies is taking place on December 7 in 45 districts including Jhapa.

KAKADBHITTA, Nov 11: Former Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has said that none can prevent the left alliance and nationalist forces from victory in the upcoming polls.

Addressing a rally at Dhulabari in Jhapa Constituency No. 1 on Saturday, Oli said that the strategy of Nepali Congress to instigate splits in the left parties is over now. He was of the opinion that the unity of left parties has broken the traps against country’s self-reliance made in the past.

Chairman Oli and leaders of CPN (Maoist Center) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) have intensified their election campaigns in Jhapa district. CPN-UML, Maoist Center and RPP have forged election alliance in Jhapa district.

JHAPA, Oct 30: A curfew order that was into force in Birtamod, Jhapa for the past four days, following the death of a protester in police firing, was withdrawn from Monday afternoon.

A meeting of the District Security Coordination Committee took a decision to this effect, said Chief District Officer Rishiram Tiwari.

A curfew was clamped after a protestor identified as Naresh Thapa was killed on Friday when the police opened fire into a protest rally held by the locals demanding investigations into a case relating to the murder one Laxman Siwakoti, 11, of Arjundhara Municipality-11 and action against the guilty.

Siwakoti, who had gone missing from his home on September 14, was found dead the following day in Birtamod-1. RSS

One killed in police firing in Jhapa

Curfew imposed in Birtamod after tensed situation

Probe committee starts investigation into death of Laxman Shiwakoti

JHAPA, Oct 27: The District Administration Office, Jhapa, has imposed curfew in Birtamod, Jhapa after the situation remained tensed following a clash between locals and the police on Friday.

The clash erupted when the police intervened in peaceful rally organized by the local people demanding action against the murderer of the 11-year old Laxman Shiwakoti.

The police opened fire in the air, shot over a dozen rounds of teargas shells, and baton charged at a mass rally that was taken out from Shanishchare road under the police escorting, the agitators said.
They accused the police of thrashing passersby and local people. The protestors also hurled stones at the police, they said. A few have been reported injured in the riot.

The curfew has been imposed from Buspark area in East, Charpane in West, Mahananda Chowk in North and Birta Bazaar in South from 1:30 pm today till further notice, according to DSP Bishnu KC.

Shiwakoti of Arjundhara-11 had gone missing from home on September 30, and his body was found the following day at Birtamod-1. The victim’s uncle Bishnu Prasad Shiwakoti has filed a complaint against Suresh Pokhrel including other eight persons of Birtamod-5 as the murderers.

SURUNGA, June 26: Nepal-India border in Jhapa district has been sealed for the next 72 hours beginning from today in view of the June 28 second phase local level elections going to take place in 35 districts.

Checkpoints along the Nepal-India border including the Kakarvitta and Bhadrapur have been shut for the next 72 hours, according to Jhapa’s Chief District Officer Uttam Kumar Khatri. Some 118 kilometers land of eastern and southern Jhapa shares border with India.

Likewise, the sale and transport of liquor has been banned in the district during the election period.

Likewise, vehicles except those obtaining permission from the District Administration Office, Jhapa for operation on the day of election (June 28) are to remain off the road that day, Deputy Superintendent of Police Hari Sharma said. RSS

Two persons died in a motorcycle accident in Khairana Bridge along the Kailali-Attariya road section of the East-West Highway. Motorcyclist Somraj Chaudhary, 30, and pillion rider Janak Chaudhary, 30, of Shreepur VDC-5 of the district died on the way to hospital after the incident, according to the police.

Likewise, a person died in a road accident at Gauradaha of Jhapa this morning. Pillion rider Dipendra Bista, 42, died in the accident after two motorcycles (Ko 13 Pa 8554) and (Me 2 Pa 920) collided at Gauradaha -2. Bista died while undergoing treatment at Lifeline Hospital Damak, police said.

Motorcycle driver Ekindra Basnet, 40, seriously injured in the accident has been sent to Neuro Hospital in Biratnagar from Damak was riding on the (Me 2 Pa 920).

Meanwhile, 11 passengers were injured when the passenger buses (Na 4 Kha 7713) en route to Kakadbhitta from Pokhara and (Na 4 Kha 627 heading to Pokhara from Damauli collided head on in Turture of Tanahun district last evening.

The injured are receiving treatment in Seti Ganga Community Hospital at Dulegauda, said the District Police Office.