District level leaders of political parties, businessmen, industrialists, civil society leaders, teachers, students, media persons and members of the general public took part in the demonstration held to protest ´inadequate´ budget allotment for and continuous indifference to´ the development of education, health, transportation and other infrastructure in the region despite repeated demands. [break]
The demonstrators, wearing black armbands and carrying placards on their chests, started a silent rally from Alan Chowk of Dhangadi and ended in a mass meeting in front of the Kailali Industry and Commerce Association (KICA) building.
Earlier, a team named Far-West Pressure Group was formed under Dr. Hem Raj Pant, a civil society leader, to spearhead a campaign until the 21-point demand is fulfilled.
The group representing political parties, professional organizations, students, teachers, businessmen and media persons has made public a week-long to-do list for its agitations.
Pant said that the agitations would spread to all nine districts of the region.
KICA, as an interesting highlight of the region´s years-long campaign against under-development, has been organizing for the last four years a function at which the prime minister is wreathed with a 21 kg garland, supposedly signifying the region´s 21-point demand.
"Garlanding only brought assurances. We are now into real agitations as our symbolic programs did not yield any concrete result," said Dinesh Bhandari, KICA chairman.
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