 |
Kathmandu Thursday November 16, 2000 Mangshir 01, 2057.
|
Police fire at kerosene crowd
Post Report
SIRAHA, Nov 15 - Police on Wednesday fired two
rounds of bullets into the air in an attempt to control angry crowds who were unable to
purchase kerosene on a coupon basis from a local petrol station, police said.
An elderly man was hurt during the clashes with
police. After police intervention, the excited crowd surged towards the district
administration office chanting slogans against police atrocities and the incompetence of
the local administration.
"My brother and I were queueing for hours
to purchase kerosene sold at subsidised rate. We fled the scene as soon as the police
started firing," a 12-year-old boy, Raj Kumar Mukhiya, told The Kathmandu Post.
The District Administration said that a big
crowd were gathered at PK Raj Enterprises petrol station as it was the only pump which
sold kerosene on coupon basis to the people of Siraha Municipality and 15 neighbouring
VDCs.
The owner of the petrol station said that the
anxious crowd had gathered because of rumours that the coupons they had been issued with
would be invalid from next month.
To reassure the locals, the administration
announced over loudspeakers that the coupons for subsidised kerosene would remain valid in
the coming months.
Other Stories
|
