The meeting was also attended by executives of the Hotel Association of Nepal, Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal, Private and Boarding Schools Organization Nepal and Higher Secondary Schools Association-Nepal. [break]
Meanwhile, speaking at a function organized by the Kavre Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Banepa, FNCCI President Suraj Vaidya warned that the FNCCI would defy the banda. “Strikes adversely affect the economy. We will therefore defy the strike,” he said.
Immediately after the FNCCI meeting, a team led by FNCCI President Vaidya visited the CPN-Maoist head office at Buddhanagar to request the party to withdaw its strike. But Dev Gurung, secretary of the party, refused to call it off. FNCCI members quoted Gurung as saying that his party was being sidelined.
FNCCI has called a standing committee meeting on Sunday to make preparations for defying the strike.
Two days ago, the private sector and entrepreneurs in Rupandehi had announced they would protest against the strike.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Enterprenuers has issued an appeal to the CPN-Maoist to withdraw its strike.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, issuing a press statement on Saturday, asked business houses and industrial establishments to operate as usual, saying the government would deploy security personnel to maintain security.
Likewise, the government has announced that it would compensate damage done to public transport vehicles. The government has said that a compensation amount of Rs 25,000 will be paid out immediately through the district administration officed concerned. The government also has announced free medical treatment for those injured in the course of defying the strike.
However, public transport operators are not persuaded by the government´s compensation plan. “We cannot run our vehicles until the government ensures immediate compensation,” said Dolanath Khanal, general secretary of the federation.
FNCCI and various entrepreneurs had staged a peace rally at Basantapur to defy a marathon general strike enforced by the UCPN (Maoist) in April 2010. The party had enforced the strike, demanding the resignation of then prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.
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