Despite repeated commitments not to extort money from people forcefully, Maoists are collecting money from Indian vehicles and passengers entering Nepal from India at Mechi bridge and Mechi customs office of Kakadbhitta of eastern Nepal since Monday afternoon.

Leaders of political parties and entrepreneurs have called on the Maoists to take back their decision.

Maoists are taking Rs. 20 from small vehicles, while taking more than one thousand rupees from vehicles carrying goods and passenger vehicles.

According to Kantipur daily, Maoist cadres collected Rs. 1,600 each from six buses carrying Indian tourists.

Hundreds of vehicles enter Nepal via this route. The entrepreneurs obstructed the work of custom and revenue offices since 2 p.m. in the afternoon denouncing the Maoist act of collecting forceful donations.

The entrepreneurs of Panitanki of India also protested the Maoist move.

The meeting participated by the entrepreneurs, leaders of political parties, representatives of civil society decided to defy the tax imposed by the Maoists and warned of organizing protests if the Maoists did not roll back their decision.

The paper quoted Maoist district secretary Agni as saying that they are collecting money for the conference of the health department of the party.

Meanwhile, in yet another incident, Maoists abducted a peon of district agriculture office Gulmi Sobakhar Ghimire, Sunday.

The paper quoted police as saying that he was abducted from his residence of Hastichour village development committee 1 of Gulmi district.

He was abducted by a group of around six people saying they have some work with him.

The whereabouts of Ghimire is not known yet.