Dipendra Poudel, a staffer at Nepal Hydro Developer Pvt Ltd said a group of locals led by Badri Basnet and Sri Krishna Basnet attacked the staffers, injuring five of them.[break]
Mechanical overseer Kuldip Adhikari, and laborers Ajaya Chaudhari, Hasan Chaudhari, Rupesh Chaudhari and Ravi Lal Chaudhari received injuries in the attack.
Construction of the 3.52 MW project in Magapouwa Village Development Committee (VDC) and Katakuti VDC of Bhimeshwar Municipality at the cost of Rs 560 million had been previously obstructed on several occasions by the locals.
Project Head Surya Prasad Adhikari said the staffers, who fled to the district headquarters Charikot for safety, returned to the site in the evening after the local administration assured them of security.
The locals have been demanding that the project involve them in all works except the construction of the main structure as per an agreement reached in March.
“A few persons with vested interest are trying to incite the locals to obstruct the work in the hope of getting commission,” Project Head Adhikari claimed. District Police Chief Dhiraj Pratap Singh said search is on for those involved in the attack.
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