A senior Maoists party leader held talks with Chinese Ambassador and Nepalese government officials for importing petroleum products and medicines from China due to shortage of essential goods amid continued blockade of key trade points with India for over a month.

Unified CPN-Maoist Vice-Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha yesterday met China’s Ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai and discussed with him the current fuel crisis.

He also held meeting with Minister for Commerce and Supplies Ganesh Man Pun and Nepali Ambassador to China Mahesh Kumar Maskey over the issue, according to UCPN-Maoist sources.

The talks were focussed on supplying essentials including petroleum products, cooking gas and medicines to Nepal, which is hit hard by the blockade on the Nepal-India major trading points, among other bilateral concerns, senior Maoists leader Dinanath Sharma told PTI.

Shrestha has recently returned from China, where he met top Chinese leaders and discussed matters relating to opening more trade routs between Nepal and China and supplying essentials to Nepal, according to party sources.

Tatopani and Kerung, the two border points between Nepal and China, which were disrupted due to the April’s earthquake have recently opened after carrying out renovation works for resumption of vehicular movement between the two countries.

Supply of fuel has been obstructed due to the ongoing agitation by Indian-origin Madhesi groups which are against splitting Nepal into seven provinces.

Nepal government has recently made official request to the government of China to supply fuel and cooking gas among other essentials.

Meanwhile, around half a dozen protesters were injured when cadres of agitating Joint Democratic Madhesi Front (JDMF) clashed with the police at Dhalkebar in Dhanusa district near Nepal-India border today.

The clash erupted after the agitating Madhesi cadres pelted stones at passenger buses being escorted by security forces, according to the police.

Police shot around 20 rounds of bullets in the air to control the situation.

While window panes of two passenger vehicles were smashed, the agitators also threw petrol bombs at some running vehicles, that were under the escort.

The some of the cadres also reported to have received shots from rubber bullets during the clashes.

A driver of the passenger bus is said to have sustained serious injuries as he was hit at his head by the protesters.

In a separate incident, the police resorted to baton charging and firing tear gas cells at the protesters, who were pelting stones on vehicles ferrying passengers and goods at Bhardaha area in Saptari district in south-east Nepal.

At least six agitators and two policemen were also injured in the incident.

Over 40 people have died in the agitations launched by the Madhesis – the Indian-origin inhabitants of Nepals Terai region bordering India – and Tharu ethnic groups in southern plains, hitting hard normal life.

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