Baitadi, Oct 15 : Chairman of Surnaya Rural Municipality, Bir Bahadur Bista, has been physically assaulted over the issue of the rural municipality's centre. Chair Bista was pelted with stone when he went to remove the padlock that had been carried out by the agitating side at the Rural Municipality Office. Bista sustained injuries in his head due to this.    

Locals had padlocked the rural municipality office charging Bista of trying to shift the rural municipality's centre to Pabita. Discussions were held the whole day on Wednesday on settling the dispute over the rural municipality's centre but without any conclusion.

Chairman Bista had gone to remove the padlock in the evening after the talks became inconclusive and the clash occurred in course of this, police said.    

Five policemen and six persons from the agitating side were also injured in the clash. Three people who had accompanied Chair Bista have also been injured in the scuffle, chief of the Area Police Office Patan, Inspector Dhandev Saud, said. 

   
The Rural Municipality's Executive had, last year, decided to shift its centre to Pabita. However, the Surnaya locals have been opposing this and they had padlocked the rural municipality office citing a case on this was sub-judice at the Supreme Court.