BIRATNAGAR: The group opposing the construction of a cable car at Pathibhara has announced a fresh round of protests after failing to reach an agreement with the government.
Talks held on Saturday and Sunday did not yield a resolution, prompting the protest group to declare a new agitation from Lalitpur on Monday. The movement is jointly organized by Mukkumlung Tangsech Chumbo and 11 affiliated organizations, along with 10 inter-party political groups.
At a press conference in Lalitpur, the protesters announced a series of demonstrations starting from February 11 to February 21. They plan to boycott Global IME Bank and the IME Group, led by Chandra Dhakal, from January 12. They also announced a protest march, ‘Mukkumlung Bachau Padyatra,’ from February 18 to 20.
Other planned actions include encircling the Fungling Municipality Office to demand the cancellation of the cable car agreement, obstructing the transportation of cable car construction materials, and holding protest rallies in Kathmandu, Itahari, and Birtamod.
The group will also submit memorandums to all district administration offices in Koshi Province while staging protest demonstrations. If their demands are not met, they plan an indefinite transport strike and general shutdown, similar to the one staged in mid-January.
On January 25, protests against the cable car project in Taplejung’s Pathibhara turned violent, leading to clashes between demonstrators and police. The incident left 24 people injured, including three in critical condition. Two individuals who sustained gunshot wounds are currently undergoing treatment in Kathmandu.
Following widespread disruption caused by a province-wide general strike, the government formed a negotiation team led by Home Ministry Joint Secretary Prem Prasad Bhattarai. The two sides reached a six-point agreement on February 4, which included commitments for free and effective treatment of the injured and an investigation into the police action.
The government also agreed to further discussions on the cable car’s station location during a meeting scheduled for February 9.
However, after talks over the weekend failed to address this issue, the protest group announced its new round of demonstrations.
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