Gaur Bazaar in Rautahat turned tense on Friday following an attempt to relocate the Taxpayer Service Office from Gaur to Simara. Local traders launched protests demanding that the government immediately reverse its decision.
After traders and business owners obstructed the move, office materials that had already been loaded onto a truck were unloaded and returned to the office premises. The protest began after reports that the government was preparing to merge the Gaur-based office into the Inland Revenue Office in Simara.
Business owners expressed anger, alleging that authorities had tried to quietly shift the office from its own building in the central market area without prior notice.
As the truck carrying office materials attempted to leave the market area, officials of the Rautahat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with local traders, staged a sit-in in front of the vehicle. The situation became tense, prompting the deployment of a large number of security personnel.
Santosh Kesari, General Secretary of the Rautahat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, objected to the relocation attempt, especially on the eve of elections, stating that the move was unacceptable without prior information. “The decision to remove services from Gaur must be immediately withdrawn,” he said.
Local youths, including youth leader Bikram Yadav, also joined the protest and blocked the truck, after which other traders took to the streets. Following the announcement of a market shutdown, the materials were eventually unloaded from the truck.
Nepali Congress youth leader Nitesh Kumar Gupta demanded that the Taxpayer Service Office continue operating in Gaur at full capacity, arguing that relocation would unnecessarily inconvenience service seekers.
Leaders from various political parties, including Ajay Kumar Gupta of CPN-UML, Rebant Jha of Nepal Communist Party, and Rastriya Swatantra Party candidate Rajesh Chaudhary, also expressed objections to the relocation plan. They warned that removing the service center ahead of elections would directly affect local service recipients and traders.
At present, traders in Gaur have shut down their shops and continue protests. Sloganeering is ongoing in front of the customs office, with demonstrators demanding that the government reverse its decision. Gaur Bazaar remains fully affected, while the administration says efforts are underway to normalize the situation.
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