Normal life in eastern and far-west region of Nepal has been crippled due to a bandh (shutdown strike) called by separate ethnic and regional groups on Thursday.

Nine districts in far-west Nepal has been badly affected by a bandh enforced by Sudur Paschim Ekata Samaj demanding a united far-west region.

Businesses and offices in main market centers including educational institutions, factories remain closed while transportation has come to a grinding halt in affected districts including Kanchanpur, Doti, Dadeldhura, Kailali, Baitadi and Accham.

The bandh organisers have accused that the report submitted by State Restructuring Commission was a conspiracy to disintegrate the far-west region and demanded that it be scrapped.

Meanwhile in eastern Nepal, 16 districts including Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari and Udaypur is reeling under the bandh called by Khas-Chettri Samaj since early morning today.

Vehicular movement in the important East-West Highway and Mechi-Koshi Highway has come to a grinding halt as both short and long route buses and other vehicles have largely stayed off the road due to fears of reprisal of bandh organisers.  Thousands of passengers travelling in eastern Nepal through these highways have been stranded as a result.

Similarly, main market centers in the affected districts have remain closed due to the bandh while office-goers are finding it difficult to commute to work due to unavailability of public vehicles.

The Khas-Chettri Samaj had called a three-day bandh of eastern Nepal putting forth nine-point demand including granting of "janjati" status to Khas-Chettris and creation of Khasan ethnic province while demarcating federal states .

They have warned of further protest programs if the government continues to turn a deaf ear to their demands. nepalnews.com