Locals Protest Potholed Roads by Blocking Minister's Vehicle

Biratnagar. Locals in Biratnagar have protested, citing that no one has paid attention to the road repairs for years and daily accidents have increased. On Thursday, locals lay down on the road to block the vehicle of Indra Mani Parajuli, Minister of Internal Affairs and Law of Koshi Province, protesting that the government has ignored the dilapidated state of the road.

Residents of Wards 1 and 3 of Biratnagar, gathered in front of the Law Campus on the Pushpalal Chowk-Tinpaani road section of Biratnagar, blocked the road with a barricade and lay down on the road to stop the minister's vehicle. The angry locals surrounded the minister's vehicle, accusing the minister, who travels on this road daily, of turning a blind eye to the potholes and the suffering of the people.

"We don't want political assurances, we want safe roads that save lives," said Dambar Dahal, a local participating in the protest. "We repeatedly went to the concerned bodies and pleaded, but no one listened. When our concerns were not heard, we were forced to lie down on the road and stop the minister's vehicle."

According to locals, two to four small and large vehicles have been involved in accidents daily on the potholed road. The large potholes on the road have made the daily lives of the general public difficult.

Locals believe that overloaded vehicles are the main reason for the road's deterioration. Hundreds of heavily loaded tippers carrying sand, gravel, and construction materials travel on this road daily. However, they accuse government bodies and traffic police of not playing any effective role in controlling overloading.

This road falls within the jurisdiction of the Biratnagar Metropolitan City. Although the metropolis carried out repair work towards the end of the fiscal year 2081, locals say that the road returned to its old dilapidated state within a few months due to the use of substandard materials and irregularities.

A few days ago, locals met with Nagesh Koirala, the mayor of Biratnagar Metropolitan City, and Shilpa Nirala Karki, the deputy mayor, demanding road repairs. During that meeting, there was a heated argument between the locals and Mayor Koirala.

Mayor Koirala responded that contractors are unwilling to work at the old rates due to increased prices of construction materials, stating that it is challenging to expedite the road repair work immediately.

Meanwhile, after locals lay down on the road and blocked the minister's vehicle, a team from the District Police Office, Morang, and local police administration reached the scene. The obstruction was cleared only after the police held discussions with the protesting locals and urged them to open the road.

DSP Makendra Kumar Mishra, spokesperson for Morang, said that although the road was obstructed for a short time, it was cleared. "When the road was about to be obstructed, we dispatched a team led by DSP Santosh Shrestha. The obstruction was cleared after the police team persuaded the locals," Mishra said.

Locals have stated that they will launch further protests if effective steps are not taken immediately to control overloaded vehicles and for the sustainable repair of the road.