Posted by: Khairey August 4, 2009
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And the cycle continues....
| Maoist unionists shut Balaju Industrial Area | ||
| KATHMANDU, Aug 4: A Maoist-affiliated labor union has forcefully shut down all factories inside Balaju Industrial Area since Monday, demanding immediate release of two individuals nabbed by police on charges of manhandling the chief of the Industrial Area Management Limited (IAML). The Maoist-led protest action has, among other things, affected the operation of key industrial units like Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) and cooking-gas bottler Nepal Gas. DDC occupies around 50 percent of the local dairy market share, while Nepal Gas caters to some two-thirds of the local LPG (liquid petroleum gas) demand. If the strike is prolonged for around three more days the market may start experiencing shortages of fresh milk and cooking-gas, industry sources told myrepublica.com. Other key industrial plants like Shankar Gas and Himal Gas, which bottle oxygen, were also closed down by the protest organizers, the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Trade Unions Federation-Revolutionary (ANTUF-R) Balaju Industrial Area chapter. “DDC, Nepal Gas and two oxygen plants were allowed to operate until Monday considering their nature,†a source at Balaju Industrial Area said. “However, to exert pressure on the government, the Maoists pulled down their shutters as well on Tuesday.†The Maoist-affiliated trade union had called the strike protesting the arrest by police of Khadga Bahadur Tamang of Bara and Bikash Rai of Solukhumbu. The two, who work as loaders inside Balaju Industrial Area, were nabbed on Sunday for allegedly assaulting IAML chief Giriraj Bhandari. Bhandari was attacked during a press conference Sunday by Rohit, chief of ANTUF-R Balaju Industrial Area chapter, and a gang of around 15, who were allegedly members of the Young Communist League (YCL). They had fled the scene after seriously injuring Bhandari and Keshav Prasad Parajuli, senior assistant of IAML. The press conference was organized at IAML headquarters in Balaju. Police have not been able to arrest Rohit to date. ANTUF-R Balaju Industrial Area chapter has said it will not allow any industry inside the area to function unless the two arrested are released. Balaju Industrial Area is home to around 100 industrial plants. Rohit and other assailants had attacked Bhandari for his role in removing YCL camps from industrial areas. |