MP Bhattarai accused of ownership of cable car
KATHMANDU, Feb 11: The agitating Mukkumlung protection group, which has been vehemently opposing the construction of a cable car in Pathibhara temple area, has announced to continue its protest program after Monday's talks with the government ended without finding any solution.
Holding a press conference on Monday evening, eleven local organizations and an inter-party alliance of 10 opposition parties issued a joint statement and announced the continuation of the protest.
In the statement, they have announced that the supporters of the Mukkumlung protection movement will boycott the companies of IME Group including Global IME Bank from February 11 to February 21.
The statement also mentions the plan to hold a ‘Save Mukkumlung Walk’ from February 18 to 20, picket the office of Phungling Municipality to press for the cancellation of the cable car permit and agreement, urge the companies transporting construction materials for the cable car to stop their transport, and hold protest meetings in Kathmandu, Itahari and Birtamod.
They have also planned a program to submit memorandums to the federal government via all the district administration offices of Koshi Province demanding the cancellation of the agreement for the construction of the cable car.
The statement said that if the government fails to implement these programs, an indefinite transport shutdown and general strike will be called for in the province.
MP Bhattarai accused of ownership of the cable car
Through the statement, the agitating group has also accused Member of Parliament Yogesh Bhattarai, who was elected from Taplejung, as a silent owner of the Pathibhara cable car.
The statement reads, “It is apparent from the remarks of MP Yogesh Bhattarai, who won the MP seat from the region that has around 90 percent population comprised of Yakthung (Limbus and Rais who revere Mukkumlung area as sacred site) indigenous people, that he is not just focused on destroying the status of the indigenous Yakthungs but also is also a secret owner of the Pathibhara cable car project.”
The statement expresses disappointment over the move of people’s representative Bhattarai to take the side of the ‘mafia corporate’ instead of the people who he is representing at the parliament.
The agitating group has also accused the government of not being serious enough about the locals’ demands regarding the cable car construction.