KATHMANDU: The government has renewed its invitation for talks with protesting groups to resolve the ongoing dispute regarding the construction of the Pathibhara cable car project in Taplejung.

On Friday, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a statement calling on all concerned parties to engage in dialogue to address the social, religious, cultural, and local issues raised during the project’s development.

This appeal comes after a violent clash on Thursday between security forces and demonstrators at the Kaflepati base station of the Pathibhara cable car, which left 12 people injured. Tensions escalated when protestors surrounded the base station and attempted to damage it, resulting in stone-pelting and police intervention.

A negotiation team, headed by Prem Prasad Bhattarai, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, was formed on February 2 to facilitate discussions. Despite ongoing talks since February 4, no resolution was reached, and further protests were announced following unsuccessful negotiations on February 9.

In a separate development, transport operators called off a strike after a vehicle heading to Kaflepati to assist the injured was vandalized, and the driver, Rajkumar Poudel, was attacked by protestors. Following talks, the protesting groups agreed to cover the costs of repairing the vehicle and the driver’s medical expenses.