Banda withdrawn in Palpa

Palpa, Dec 10: Protesters have withdrawn the indefinite Palpa district-wide banda they had called in protest against the constitution amendment bill.

The life in the district is returning to normal with the retraction of the banda. The markets around Tansen, the district headquarters, gave started opening.

Dul Bahadur Kunwar, the district president of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), said the banda programme has been withdrawn until further protest programmes are announced.

Most of the political parties in the district except the CPN (Maoist Centre) had called for an indefinite district-wide banda since November 30 after the government registered the constitution amendment bill in parliament. These parties are protesting the provision in the bill which seeks to separate Palpa, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi, Pyuthan, Rolpa and Rukum districts from Province No 5 and include them in Province 4.

The banda that lasted for 11 days had made the life of the people in the district difficult. Transport, markets, educational institutions and businesses had remained closed throughout, causing inconvenience to the people.