Agitating VDC secretaries today said they would close down all VDC offices across the country and launch decisive agitation in the capital if the government failed to respond to their demands within three days.

A meeting of the VDC Secretaries Rights Protection Centre held at the Lalitpur District Development Committee’s office decided to give the ultimatum to the government.

The VDC secretaries concluded that the government had remained tight-lipped regarding their demands, which includes guarantee of security to secretaries working in Terai districts, life insurance worth 1 million rupees and ‘martyr status’ to secretaries killed by rebel groups.

Ganesh Raj Karki of the Centre said the VDC secretaries present in Kathmandu would start picketing the Local Development Ministry from Monday and all VDC secretaries would gather in the capital after three days to intensify the protest.

“We have been carrying out protests with these demands but the state remains heedless,” Karki said.

Two VDC secretaries were murdered by armed groups in Terai after the restoration of democracy. Cadres of the Jwala Singh-led faction of Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) had killed VDC secretary Ram Hari Pokharel in Siraha district last week.

The incident provoked nationwide indefinite strike by the VDC secretaries.