The government has arrested transport entrepreneurs, who have called a strike on Friday protesting the government’s decision to end transport cartels, across the country for stopping operation of essential services.
General Secretary of the Federation of Nepal National Transport Entrepreneurs Saroj Sitaula has been arrested from Kathmandu. “I have been arrested by the police while going to address a press conference at the Reporter’s Club,” Sitaula told Setopati. “Fellow entrepreneurs have been arrested in other places as well. We want to resolve the problem through dialogue and discussion.”
Vice president of West Nepal Bus Entrepreneurs Association Jivan Kumar Banjade and General Secretary Padam Raj Gaha have also been arrested, according to our correspondent in Butwal Bhagawati Pandey.
The arrested entrepreneurs will be charged under the Essential Services Operation Act 1957 that carries a jail term of up to one year.
The Home Ministry earlier on the day instructed Chief District Officers (CDO) in all 77 districts to arrest and take action against the transport entrepreneurs who have called a strike on Friday protesting the government’s decision to end transport cartels.
Stating that the general public has been hit by the strike, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa instructed the 77 CDOs to arrest the transport entrepreneurs who are not operating their vehicles and take action as per the Essential Services Operation Act 1957.
Minister Thapa also instructed all the district coordination committees to initiate investigation of the assets of the transport entrepreneurs and their committees that are on strike, according to a ministry source.
“Minister Thapa has clearly instructed all district coordination committees to take action against those opposing the government’s decision by not operating their vehicles and to initiate investigation of their assets,” the source added.
The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has also said it will revoke route permit of the entrepreneurs who do not operate their vehicles in support of the strike.
Director General (DG) at the department Rup Narayan Bhattarai said data of those not operating their vehicles is being collected from different districts and a meeting of the department later on the day will revoke permit of all those vehicles.
“We have sought data of those not operating their vehicles from the administration and police. We are also collecting the data ourselves in Kathmandu Valley. A meeting of the department in the evening after collecting all the data will revoke permit of all those not operating their vehicles,” Bhattarai said.
