Residents of Paroha Municipality-9 Rampurkhap, who have been on a hunger strike to demand the closure of small customs operations and four-wheeler vehicles, suspended their hunger strike on Thursday after the verbal consent of the Chief District Officer.
Locals started a hunger strike on Wednesday evening demanding that four-wheelers be allowed to run without interruption along with the operation of the closed small customs office at Rampurkhap. Jagatlal Yadav informed that the hunger strike was withdrawn after Chief District Officer Hiralal Regmi verbally assured that he would look into the issue of four-wheeler operation and customs checkpoint in a practical manner.
The local administration stopped the four-wheeled vehicles going and coming across the border through the crossing. Locals have protested after Gaur customs barred entry and exit from other than the main gate. During the Maoist war, Rampur Khap Chhoti Customs was closed for security reasons. After that, there was a compulsion to go to Gaur to collect the traffic and similar customs revenue.
Paroha-9 The administration team reached the area in the morning after the locals started fasting to death by placing tents in the Nepali border area 50 meters from the Nepal-India border area in Rampurkhap. Congress leader Anju Jha accused the local administration of not showing interest in the opening of Chhoti Customs and causing pain to the locals by banning four-wheelers.
The administration stopped four-wheelers from crossing the border with Ishanath Municipality-1, 2 and 4 of Rautahat and Ward No. 9 of Paroha Municipality, which are connected to India. Locals also submitted a memorandum to the Chief District Officer and the Customs Office on January 7. Locals say that they had to go on hunger strike because they were ignored by the administration and customs.
The small customs office, which was 'merged' during the then Maoist People's War for security reasons, has not been operational yet. Due to increased security threat, 5 small customs offices here are closed. Now the headquarters is not in operation other than Gaur Customs. Bordering India, Rampurkhap, Bankul, Auraiya, Brahmapuri and Mathia Chhoti customs offices have been closed for a decade and a half.
