Nepal's government formed a committee on Monday to seize and nationalise property held by King Gyanendra, who was forced to give up authoritarian rule last year, officials said. But in southern Nepal, protesters shut down roads on Monday to demand more rights and political power, stranding thousands of passengers, officials said. The Cabinet appointed Gopal Man Shrestha to head the three-member committee, which will have a month to investigate, locate, seize and nationalise King Gyanendra’s property, said Transport Minister Ramesh Lekhak. There have been several inconclusive investigations tallying the king and his family’s property, which includes several palaces, resorts and forests. Lekhak said Gyanendra will be allowed to retain the property he owned before he became king in 2001 when he was a businessman with stakes in luxury hotels and factories, including a cigarette plant. The king remains powerless and is waiting for a special assembly to be elected later this year to decide if Nepal, traditionally a monarchy, should continue to have a king or not. Meanwhile, Nepalese cities across the Terai plains bordering India were affected by a shutdown and strike called by a group demanding greater representation for the region’s plains people despite the government’s offer for talks. Even as the SAFTA Council of Ministers’ meeting to clear trade barriers kicked off in Kathmandu, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum threatened to block all 22 trading points along Nepal-India border to press for their demands from today. The blockade will have adverse impact in the supply of kerosene, foodstuff and other essentials to Kathmandu. The major highways in western Terai region remained closed today affecting Nawalparasi, Bhairahawa, Baglung, and Nepalgunj towns. The group has been launching a serious of protest programmes for the past two months demanding increased representation for the Madhesi community in Parliament and to provide more government jobs for the Madhesi communities. “We are demanding the resignation of Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula for the loss of lives and property caused due to police barbarity during our protests,” Sitanandan Rai, the negotiator appointed by the Forum, told medidapersons in Kathmandu. “We also want the government to form a high-level commission to investigate the deaths and bring to justice the security and government officials and others involved. But so far the government has not paid any heed,” he said. There is growing fear of violence in the region as the Maoists have tried to foil the agitation by the Madhesi groups, resulting in casualties. In Bhairahawa town at least eight people were injured when clash occured between the Maoists and the Madhesi activists yesterday.
