Normal life was greatly affected as transportation came to a halt while market places remained closed also on Saturday due to the banda organised by the locals, demanding the provincial headquarters in Doti and Dang districts. 

In Doti, passengers have been left stranded due to the continuous banda. People are also facing hardships due to the shortage of daily essentials, including food grains and other items. The demonstrators are demanding that Dipayal, the district headquarters, is named the capital of Province 7. They have been protesting at Silgadhi, Dipayal and Budar areas for the past three days. Narendra Khadka, chairman of the Doti Chamber of Commerce and Industry, warned that they would intensify protest programmes until their demand is met. 

On Friday, at least 24 protesters and four police personnel were injured in a clash that broke out after the protesters pelted stones at the District Administration Office. 

In Dang, the demonstrators organised a protest programme in Lamahi along the East-West Highway demanding Dang be made the capital of Province 5. People have been protesting for the last four days since the government declared Rupandehi the temporary provincial capital. 

Addressing a protest programme on Saturday, CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara assured the local people that Dang would be made permanent provincial capital from the provincial assembly. He also requested people to change their tact as they press for their demand. “Normal life is being greatly affected by the banda,” Mahara said. 

Banda called off in Dang

The agitating locals called off the banda on Saturday evening. An all-party struggle committee decided to change their tact and called off the banda. Nirmal Acharya, district co-in charge of the CPN (Maoist Centre), however, said they would continue their protest by hoisting black flags in their houses, organise relay hunger strike and sit-ins among other protest programmes. 

In Dhankuta, all the district-based representatives of Nepali Congress resigned from their posts, saying that their leadership could not make Dhankuta the capital of Province 1. Organising a press meet in the district, the NC District Committee issued a joint resignation from their posts. People of Dhankuta are protesting for the state capitalhood for the last 36 days.