The local administration has imposed curfew in Siraha for two days from the morning today. The District administration Office, Siraha issued the prohibitory order to be effective from today morning till 7 pm tomorrow, citing the shutdown and protest continued by the Dr CK Raut-led Janamat Party since the last three days has put the life and property of the general public at risk.
Chief District Officer of Siraha, Lalbabu Kawari has, through a press release, informed that the curfew has been imposed along the East-West national highway within the perimeter of Balankhola in the east to Kamala River in the west and 500 metres on both sides of this section of the highway. Likewise, the curfew is imposed along the Siraha road section from Choharba up to PK Raj Enterprises (Petrol Pump) and 500 metres east and west of this road section.
Any type of gathering of people, movement of people and vehicles and political assemblies or activity has been prohibited from 5 am today until 7pm tomorrow in the areas where curfew has been imposed in view of the general strike and transport halt called by the Janamat Party since some days, CDO Kawari said. Anyone found disobeying the curfew order will be booked, the District Administration Office, Siraha has warned.However, the operation of public transport services will be allowed on the national highway and the Siraha Choharba road section.
The Janamat Party has called a general shut down in Siraha since Sunday to protest what it called illegal arrest of farmers by police. The farmers had stormed and taken wheat from the go-down of the Aaurahi rural municipality in the district accusing the rural municipality of delay in distributing the wheat seed to them. Following this incident, the police had arrested the farmers on the charge of looting the wheat from the go-down.
Janamat Party has been organizing the protests and shutdown calling for releasing farmers whom it says, were arrested on trumped-up charges. The party cadres had torched a truck and vandalized two dozen vehicles at Golbazar of Siraha in course of the general strike.
