Nepali Congress lawmaker Sanjaya Kumar Gautam has been staging a fast-unto-death strike for the past week with a 15-point demand.

Gautam, who was elected from Bardiya-1, resorted to the extreme form of protest demanding speedy restoration of the damaged Jabdighat bridge, which connects Barbardiya with Gulariya, from May 13.

The bridge, which was constructed by notorious builder Pappu Construction, caved in before it was handed over to the government in 2017.

“I am a lawmaker of a ruling party. I raised the issue of constructing the damaged bridge several times at the House. But it was unheard of. I started staging a hunger strike as there is no alternative,” said Gautam, who is also a central committee member of the party.

Meanwhile, doctors have warned that Gautam’s health could be exacerbated if he continues the hunger strike.