33-party alliance banda cripples life across country

Normal life across the country including the Kathmandu valley has come to a standstill on Monday due to the general strike enforced by the 33-party alliance-led by CPN-Maoist.

The educational institutions, market places, industries and transport services have remained closed across the country. Despite government’s assurance of providing compensations, very few numbers of vehicles are plying on the roads.

However, vehicles belonging to police, press, human rights organizations, and diplomatic missions and including ambulances and tourist vehicles are operating without any obstruction.

Similalrly, the banda organizers have also torched vehicles across the country.

According to our Dolakha district-based correspondent Ramesh Khatiwada, cadres of  the CPN-Maoist torched two vehicles which were being parked at Pakhalati of Bhimeshwor Municiplaity on Sunday night.

CPN-Maoist cadres set the two buses (Ba 2 Kha 1806) and (Ba 2 Kha 3534) of Araniko Yatayata on fire as the assistant drivers and helpers sleeping inside. However, they  managed to come out of the bus unhurt. The fire has caused major damage in the buses.

According to our Kavre-based correspondent Madhusudan Guragain, the banda organizers hurled a petrol bomb at a bus this monring.The bus (Ba 3 Kha 203)came under attack at Patlekhet of district while the bus was heading to Kathmandu from Ghurmi. However, the incident has caused minor damage in the bus.

Meanwhile, police have recovered suspicious objects in various places like Shrikhandapur, Raviopi, Panchalkhal, Khawa, Mahadevsthan and Rayabari.

According to our Sarlahi-based correspondent Santosh Singh, a suspicious improvised explosive device (IED) has been recovered in Laxiiniya-7, Kantibazar of Mahottari district this morning. According to Inspector Deepak Giri at Area Police Office at Gaushala, a Nepal Army bomb disposal team has been deputed at the incident side to defuse the bomb.

According to our Siraha-based correspondent Mithilesh Yadav, a socket bomb and other suspicious objects have been found in Ganesh Chwok and Shiva Chwok at Lahan of the district on Sunday evening. A Nepal Army bomb disposal team is preparing to defuse the bomb now.

A meeting of the 33-party alliance Sunday had decided to enforce general strike only on Monday and impose transport strike for nine days starting Tuesday. Earlier the alliance had announced to enforce general strike for 10 days with a view to disrupt the ongoing election process.