In what looks like a game of tug of war, locals of various towns of four Terai districts have been staging demonstrations following the government decision to withdraw its decision to establish Integrated Administrative Service Centres (IASC) in those towns.

While offices and business in Jaleshwar, headquarter of Mahottari district opened on Tuesday after a ‘bandh’ for two-and-half weeks, locals of Bardibas, Hariaun, Chandranigahapur and Nijgadh have shut down market, educational institutions and disrupted traffic in the district for a third consecutive day Thursday. Their demand is that the government should stick to its decision of establishing IASC at Bardibas of Mahottari, Hariaun of Sarlahi, Chandranigahapur of Rautahat and Nijgadh of Bara.

The government had withdrawn its decision following violent protests by locals in Jaleshwar and the headquarters of the districts in consideration.

A Struggle Committee led by Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party leader Ram Krishna Mahato has announced to continue the strike unless the government sticks to its decision of establishing IASC outside district headquarters in all four districts. Hundreds of commuters traveling on the highway have been stranded due to the strike. nepalnews.com ta Feb 05 09