Deteriorating Nepal's situations!

Maoist-called bandh today saw life crippled in the Valley, with marginal
vehicular movement on the roads and most shops remaining closed.
Educational institutions, major commercial establishments, private offices
and shops in major hubs

Educational institutions, major commercial establishments, private offices
and shops in major hubs of the capital remained closed. However, shops and
offices in the bylanes were open.
Yesterday, the traffic police seized around 500 vehicles in a bid to to
force the vehicle owners to function on bandh days. Consequently, today
more vehicles were seen plying than on previous bandhs.
Some taxi drivers, however, said that they worked today to earn more
money. “I always ply my vehicle during strikes because I charge more money
on such days,” said Bharat Thapa Magar, of Dhading. Buses belonging to
Nepal Yatayat, Kantipur Yatayat, a few micro-buses, tempos and Tata mobile
vans were running.
The Bomb Disposal Team of the security forces defused bombs near the Royal
Nepal Airlines Corporation, New Road and near Gopikrishna Hall at
Chabahil. A bomb hoax at Balkhu created tension for more than a hour,
police said.
In Bhaktapur last night, Maoists blew up the office of the Theche village
development committee.
According to police, a pressure cooker bomb exploded at the VDC office
gate around midnight. The blast damaged the office main gate, shattered
window panes and damaged furniture and documents.
No human casualty has been reported. Meanwhile, public life was crippled
throughout the nation on the first day of a week-long general strike
called by the Maoists. There was scant vehicular movement on roads across
Pokhara and most shops, barring some tea stalls, remained closed. Most
academic institutions also remained closed. A few vehicles were seen
plying, that too under the protection of the security forces. Additional
security personnel were deployed in Pokhara. No untoward incident was
reported in Kaski district, the District Police office, Kaski, said.
In Chitwan, normal life was brought to a standstill due to the bandh. Only
bicycles and rickshaws could be seen plying on the roads while academic
and business institutions remained closed.
A report from Bara said most of the shops, local industries and academic
institutions in the district remained closed and only a few government
personnel attended office. The first day of the bandh crippled normal life
in Rautahat too.
A report from Rupandehi said the bandh affected normal life in the
district. Though the local administration had urged people to go about
their business as usual, most shops remained closed.
Our Sarlahi-based correspondent reported that most business and academic
establishments remained closed. Police personnel were deployed to open
shops in Malangwa bazaar this morning, but the shop owners demurred. The
Maoists placed obstacles on the Lalbandi section of the Mahendra Highway.
Police forcibly opened the main business centres in Dhading district,
including in Dhadingbeshi, the district headquarters. Most of the business
institutions remained shut and the streets were deserted. Ambulances were
plying on the Tribhuvan and Prithvi highways under the escort of security
forces.
A report from Birgunj said most sectors were affected by the bandh.
Unified security forces were deployed at the main chowks of the city. This
morning, security forces tried to run some vehicles under their control.
In Janakpurdham, a few motorbikes could be seen plying, but most private
enterprises remained closed. The government-run Janakpur Cigarette Factory
and Janakpur-Jayanagar Rail service were open for operation, though.
A report from Pyuthan said all social sectors in the district remained
closed. The Maoists staged torch rallies at Bijaynagar, Bijuwar and
Dharmawati, among other places, locals said.
In Tanahun, most educational institutions remained closed while few people
could be seen in government offices.
The Maoists obstructed the Mahendra highway’s Belbari to Kakarvitta
section. Traffic came to a halt and all shops, industrial houses,
educational institutes remained shut. The bomb disposal team dispatched
from the RNA’s eastern divisional headquarters deactivated the Maoists’
bomb at the Morang’s Jirikhimti, said the RNA’s eastern divisional
headquarters.
A report from Phidim said the local administration used security personnel
to open some of the shops in Phidim, yet educational institutes and
factories remained shut.
A report from Dhankuta said the bandh affected life there in a big way.
Sunsari district was also affected by the bandh, as was Bhairahawa. The
bandh also affected normal life in Biratnagar, Gorkha, Syangja, Baglung,
Myagdi, Parbat, Dolakha, Rajbiraj and Kanchanpur.
(With inputs from Pokhara, Chitwan, Bara, Rautahat, Dhading, Birgunj,
Janakpurdham, Pyuthan and Tanahun)