Money
Syndicates block roads for 2nd day
Syndicate enforcers associated with Transporters Entrepreneurs’ Committee and Prithvi-Highway Bus Operators Committee obstructed the movement of public vehicles to and from Gorkha Bazaar for the second consecutive day on Friday, forcing travellers to walk to their destinations.Sudip Kaini
Syndicate enforcers associated with Transporters Entrepreneurs’ Committee and Prithvi-Highway Bus Operators Committee obstructed the movement of public vehicles to and from Gorkha Bazaar for the second consecutive day on Friday, forcing travellers to walk to their destinations.
Besides a few cargo trucks, tractors and private vehicles, almost all public vehicles remained off the roads. Especially, women visiting to their parent’s homes for Mother’s Day were affected badly.
Although the Gorkha Chamber of Commerce and Industry had initiated multilateral talks to resolve the issue, the talks failed after the transporters demanded release their friends arrested by the police.
The transporters have been staging protests after the police arrested 23 men for their involvement in vandalising the vehicles of Arughat Transport, which was about to launch its service. On charge of civil offense, the police have extended the remand for the arrested by seven days.
Meanwhile, coordinator of Naya Shakti Nepal Baburam Bhattarai on Friday demanded an end to the syndicate system as soon as possible. “Naya Shakti will never support monopoly and syndicate. We rather are committed to taking action if any of our activists are found supporting the practice,” said Bhattarai, urging the parties, police and administration to resolve the problem immediately.
In separate statements, a youth association aligned to the CPN-UML and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal also demanded an end to transporters’ syndicate.
Rights activists on Friday handed over a memorandum to the District Administration Office, Gorkha, over the issue. “We have long been demanding the issue be resolved, but the government has failed to implement its own laws,” said Yadu Adhikari, president of Human Rights and Peace Society, Gorkha.
The transporters have been trying to impose the syndicate system for the last six months. This has resulted in violent clashes between the police and syndicate imposers. Even the locals have called banda for the last three days in Arughat bazaar area demanding an end to syndicate.
Chief District Officer Narayan Bhatta said the administration will hold talks with the transporters only after the latter lift road obstruction. “There is no meaning of sitting for talks until the road obstruction is lifted,” he said.