Pyuthan, Dec 1: Protests have started at the public and political sphere in Pyuthan and Rolpa against the proposal to separate hill districts of this region – Pyuthan, Rolpa, Arghakhanchi and Gulmi from the Tarai region in the recently registered constitution amendment bill.

People of these districts have termed the bill ‘impractical’ as it has proposed to disintegrate the hilly region within the earlier proposed Province No 5 with the Tarai. Pyuthan-Rolpa Struggle Committee coordinator Mukti Prasad Sharma said protests would continue until the government withdrew the bill. 

District-based political parties both from the ruling and opposition sides have lambasted the constitution amendment proposal. A special meeting of district-based leaders and lawmakers from the Province No 5 has been scheduled for tomorrow in the wake of the registration of the bill at the House, according to CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Krishna Adhikari (Prakash).

Demonstrators attempt to intercept Finance Minister
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who reached his home district Rolpa on Wednesday for family work, was intercepted during his return to Kathmandu by local people of Rolpa and Pyuthan who have come to the streets against the constitution amendment proposal registered in Parliament.

Although Mahara was asked to address the demonstrations to be launched on Thursday morning by the protesters, he declined the request and returned to Kathmandu on Wednesday night, said a journalist Dinesh Subedi from Rolpa.

Local people of both Rolpa and Pyuthan accused Minister Mahara of keeping silent about the constitution amendment proposal.

Palpa shut in protest

Meanwhile, Palpa was shut today against the government proposal to exclude the district from the Province No 5 and include in the Province No 4 in the constitution amendment bill. The district was shut following a joint statement issued by sister wings of various political parties calling for protests against the changes in the boundaries of the province in the constitution amendment proposal.

District-based political parties, people’s representatives, civil society representatives and business community have come to the street against the bill that was registered Tuesday.

Academic institutions, factories and transport service here have remained closed since the morning. RSS