Baitadi January 22.

An unidentified group has set ablaze the contact office of Dilashaini rural municipality in Baitadi. The administrative section of the contact office based in rural municipality-3, Pansera was set on fire at 3.00 am on Wednesday. A Scorpio van (Ma 1 Cha 488) belonging to the rural municipality was also set on fire. The rural municipality had rented the Scorpio van of CPN district chair Surendra Pal. Beside, a pressure cooker bomb was found in front of the main gate of CPN chair Pal;s house at rural municipality-3, Pansero. In addition, Pal’s JCV (Se 1 Cha 459) was also put on fire. Deputy Superintendant of Police Dilli Narayan Pandey, also the Baitadi Police Chief, informed that it has yet to find out who carried out the incident of arson and bomb detonation for what reason. A team of Nepal Army is heading to the incident site to defuse the bomb now. It may be noted that there has been a longstanding dispute regarding Dilashaini rural municipality centre. Though the centre was designated at the rural municiplai8ty-7 in course of the state restructuring, the functions of the local government now are operated from ward-3. Locals have alleged that there has been maneuvering to shift the centre to Pansera where the house of NCP chair’s house is located. Dilashaini rural municipality has the chairperson from NCP with majority in decision-making body.