Kanchanpur: The locals of Shuklaphanta Municipality-6 protested against the obstruction of construction of a ward  6 office building in Kasraul.

Residents of ward 6 reached the municipal office demanding that the construction of the Ward 6 office building be resumed after the Nepal Army deployed at Shuklaphanta National Park halted the construction work. The agitating locals also padlocked the office of Shuklaphanta Municipality.

The padlock was removed after Mayor Dil Bahadur Air assured to talk to the chief conservation officer of the national park to resume construction work ward office building.

Chairman of Ward 6 Jagata Rana said that land was designated for the construction of ward office by the ward assembly. “The land has been secured by the locals for years,” he said. He said that the construction of the ward office building was started after completing the works, including soil test, detailed project report (DPR) and environmental impact assessment (EIA).

He alleged that the national park office had been obstructing the construction of the ward office building at the instigation of some people as land would fall in the buffer zone.

Nepali Congress (NC) Municipal President Dan Bahadur Air said that there should be no obstruction after the construction of the ward office building was started. “The area under construction of the ward office building does not fall within the national park,” he said. “The national park has not been affected. If it is obstructed now, the locals will start agitation against the park.”

Chintamani Bhatta, joint general secretary of NC Sudurpaschim Province, said that the construction of the ward office building should not be obstructed. He argued another government office should not obstruct the construction of ward office building that provides door-to-door service to the people.

Mayor Air said that the ward had sent answers regarding the question posed by national park office in regard to the construction of the ward office. He added that obstacles to construction would be cleared by holding discussions with  the national park chief.