The agitators had arrived in the capital in more than 400 vehicles from Pokhara, while hundreds of other protestors joined them in the capital aiming to picket Singha Durbar. However, due to tight security arrangement around the Singha Durbar area, the protestors picketed the Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN) at Babarmahal.[break]
Another group of some 5,000 agitators gathered at Narayangopal Chowk and took out a rally through Chabahil, Tinkune, Babarmahal and Tripureshwar converging into a corner meet at Teku.
"The program was a huge success," Bishwo Shankar Palikhe, member of the pressure group said. Palikhe said the agitation was organized to express solidarity with the locals of Pokhara. “It is shameful that the government despite assurances has not been able to start the project," he said.
The government has shown reluctance in executing the regional international airport after the lowest price quoted by the Chinese firms exceeded the government estimate by 85 percent. CAAN officials believe such a huge variation has rendered the project unviable.
Although a high-level government delegation sent to China to sort out the problem returned on Sunday, they have not yet made public any progress on project implementation. The officials said they would share the progress only after submitting a formal report to the government.
Agitating locals of Pokhara, meanwhile, have continued with their relay hunger strike. They had recently enforced a shutdown in Pokhara.
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