BIRATNAGAR: Agitating demonstrators have vandalized the office of Saptakoshi municipality after security agency stopped their attempt to padlock the office. Saptakoshi Mayor Uttam Gautam shared that the protestors vandalized office properties, including vehicles, computers and digital notice board.

The municipality condemned the incident of vandalizing office and physically hurting the people’s representatives, employees and security personnel.

It may be noted that the office was padlocked earlier on Friday on the backing of Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Center), Janata Samajwadi Party and CPN (Unified Socialist) and clash was ensued when the agitators attempted to lock up the office on Sunday again.

The agitators had padlocked the office putting forth different demands, including disclosure of COVID spending and internal audit details, bidding process of the construction of National Secondary School Fattepur building, English medium class operation spending and implementation of plans of all 11 wards in the municipality.

The struggle committee commented that the municipality has invited conflict by unilaterally removing the padlock without addressing the demands.

Mayor Gautam said the padlock was removed on the presence of civil society representatives and police administration when the agitation side did not come to negotiation table despite approaching them several times.