The government has mobilized police inside the Singha Durbar to stop the civil servants who are protesting against the employee integration ordinance issued recently by President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
A large number of police personnel have been mobilized inside the Singha Durbar on Thursday after the employees, who picketed the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration on Wednesday, said they will continue to encircle the ministry and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) until their demands are addressed.
A team of riot control police led by DSP at the Metropolitan Police Office, Ranipokhari has also been mobilized.
The protesting staffers have not been able to picket the ministry and the OPMCM due to the large police presence.
Gyan Nath Dhakal, who is leading the protest, told Setopati that he has urged the top leadership, ministers and chief secretary to amend the ordinance. He added that the format of the protest program will be changed if it is not amended.
"Our colleagues have gathered at the ministry. We are going to change the modality of the protest program," he stated.
The staffers on Wednesday had picketed the ministry at one in the afternoon and handed over the memorandum letter including their demands to Chief Secretary Lok Darshan Regmi after not finding the secretary at the ministry Shankar Koirala at his office.
The protesters call themselves victims and have expressed dissatisfaction over six issues in the ordinance. They demand that employee integration be made voluntary. The staffers say they will picket the ministry every day until their demands are addressed.
President Bhandari had issued the ordinance on December 9.
