He started the hunger strike after walking barefoot to the rural municipality center, citing the lack of road facilities in the lower plains.
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Achham-A youth from Ramaroshan Rural Municipality of Achham has started a hunger strike to death in front of the Ramaroshan Rural Municipality office, raising various demands related to development and good governance.
Tilak Bahadur Batala, 24, of Ramaroshan Rural Municipality-5, Tallo Patal, has started a hunger strike since 6 pm on Friday. Stating that there are no road facilities in the Tallo Patal area, he started the hunger strike after walking barefoot to reach the rural municipality center.
Batala, 24, a resident of Ramaroshan Rural Municipality-5, Tallo Patal, has started a hunger strike since 6 pm on Friday. ‘There are no road facilities in the Tallo Patal area. I started the hunger strike by walking barefoot to reach the rural municipality center. I have put forward nine demands for the people of Ramaroshan,’ he said.
Road construction in the lower reaches, management of the Ramaroshan tourism area, completion of the blacktop work of the Jaigadh-Ramaroshan tourist road, operation of roads in remote settlements, arbitrary end to bureaucracy, stopping the purchase and sale of plans, stopping unnecessary staff appointments from the development budget, expanding access to education services and ensuring accountability to service recipients are his main demands.
‘Is there a road in the lower reaches? Where is the Ramaroshan tourism area located, is it being managed? Why is the Jaigadh-Ramaroshan tourist road stranded in blacktop?’ He has asked, ‘Are there settlements in Aadhekhan and Aledi? Why shouldn’t the road that runs on the other side be functional? Who is the arbitrary rule of the staff for?’
He has also urged to stop such activities by saying that the purchase and sale of plans is taking place. He said that there is a tendency to recruit staff with the budget received for development in Ramaroshan rural municipality. ‘Where is education available? "Loss of loyalty to service recipients? The hunger strike will continue until these questions and demands are answered," he said, "Voting, roads not working, roads reaching during voting, not reaching after voting? What he is asking for is not a request, it is a right."
At the hunger strike site, he has wrapped the national flag around his body and is holding the Constitution of Nepal in front of him, conducting a peaceful pressure-based protest. He said that the struggle is to solve the basic problems that the people have been facing for years.
Known as a social activist, Batala is also the founding chairman of the Aina Foundation. The official response of the rural municipality on this issue has not been made public. The locals, however, have expressed concern about the protest, saying that they have been facing problems in physical infrastructure and service delivery for a long time. Complaints about the slow pace of development work in the Rama Roshan area of the district had been raised earlier as well.
