Vehicles starts operating in Barhabise-Tatopani road section; NHRC calls for smooth supply

Chautara / October 7: Large vehicles including container trucks have begun operating along the Barhabise-Tatopani road section, which had remained obstructed since the April 25 earthquake.

The 26-kilometer track of the section has been opened for passenger bus as well as goods carrier after improving the track that was opened on Friday, according to Engineer at the Road Division Office Charikot Ram Bahadur Gurung.

Work is still underway to renovate the Kodari highway and additional funds have been sought from the centre, he said. Furthermore, the customs and immigration office displaced since the earthquake have come back to operation.

Likewise, the locals who had left the area have returned back and life is getting back to normal with trade activities resuming, said local trader Kami Sherpa. The government of Nepal is trying to import goods from China through this route after India imposed undeclared blockade to Nepal.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission has said that its serious attention has been drawn towards the deteriorating human rights condition and troubled daily life of the citizens due to obstruction in the regular supplies of the petroleum products.

Issuing a press statement on Wednesday, Acting Secretary of NHRC Surya Deuja said that the condition of human rights has become worse from bad due to strike in the Tarai-Madhes for two months now and obstruction in the regular supply of petroleum products from September 23.

The rights monitoring body has drawn attention of the stakeholders and government for the strong promotion, protection and fulfilment of people’s economic, social, cultural, civic and political rights of the common people as the fundamental rights of people including education, health, employment, food and shelter and people’s free movement were adversely affected.

The NHRC has urged all concerned to resolve the ongoing obstruction in the border points through talks and dialogue, from the perspective of human sensitivities and assurance of human rights.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the ‘Movement for National Independence, Nepal’ has today drawn the attention of the Prime Minister Sushil Koirala over unannounced border blockade by India.

Stating that the entire country was in a problem due to the blockade by India against previous bilateral agreements and international rules, the delegation stressed that the government should address the problem soon.

Former president duo of the Nepal Students Union–Gururaj Ghimire and Pradeep Poudel, former chairpersons of All Nepal National Free Students’ Union –Thakur Gaire and Ram Kumari Jhakri, former chairman of the All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary)—Himal Sharma and Lekhnath Neupane, chairman of Film Artistes Association of Nepal, Nabal Khadka, among others were present on the occasion. RSS