The District Administration Office, Kathmandu, has extended the period for previously declared prohibited zones by two months.
Issuing an order on Wednesday, Chief District Officer Jitendra Basnet designated prohibited zones for another two months.
The administration had earlier issued an order on November 20 designating the road stretch from Maitighar Mandala to New Baneshwar, Sheetal Niwas, vice-president’s residence, prime minister’s residence, Parliament building at New Baneshwar, and the area around Singha Durbar as prohibited zones for 30 days.
The order prohibited gatherings of more than five people for processions, demonstrations, sit-ins, hunger strikes, picketing and other forms of protest in the prohibited zones.
The administration had issued the order in view of possible clashes between the groups led by medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai and CPN-UML youth wing National Youth Federation Nepal who had both announced demonstrations at Maitighar for November 23.
Chief District Officer Basnet said that areas around the executive, the legislature, the judiciary, VVIP residences and offices have been designated prohibited zones since the beginning, adding that the administration has only continued it. He said that demonstrations can be held in places other than the prohibited zones.
When asked if those places will continue to be designated prohibited zones, Basnet said that the prohibited zones have been designated for only two months for the time being and could be removed after assessing the situation.
Responding to a petition challenging the Kathmandu administration’s order, the Supreme Court issued an order stating that prohibited zones cannot be declared for an indefinite period. Basnet said that they had issued the order by specifying the reasons and duration.
