Maoists cadres carrying sticks and red banners blocked all approach roads leading to the country's key administrative building complex in order to pressurise the government to quit.
Nepalese Maoists today laid siege to the country's power centre Singhdurbar as their cadres crippled the capital for the fourth day in running in a general strike aimed to topple the Madhav Kumar Nepal led 22-party coalition government.
Maoists cadres carrying sticks and red banners blocked all approach roads leading to the country's key administrative building complex, in an attempt to pressurise the government to quit and also enforced a complete shutdown throughout the country.
Talking tough, Maoists former guerrilla turned party chief Prachanda warned that they did not intend to relent and asked his cadres to further intensify the protest.
Thousands of Maoist supporters surrounded the Singhdurbar building which houses the prime minister's office as well as the parliament building from 5am in the morning to prevent ministers from attending office.
However, officials said that 9-10 ministers upstaged the protesters by reaching the office before 5am.
Hundreds of tourists including foreign nationals remained stranded in the city-centre as the Maoists did not allow the public transport to ply. Food stocks and medicines are also running low in the city though the authorities manage to sneak in some essential supplies in truck convoys escorted by armed policemen.
In Anamnagar area of Kathmandu the Maoists have vandalised two dozen shops for defying their strike on Wednesday.
In western Nepal town of Pokhara the Maoists had beaten up 30 labourers for resuming to their works defying their strike on Tuesday.
In Mahendranagar in Kanchanpur district far west Nepal the Maoist vandalised three shops and one motorbike for defying their strike.
Three traders were also injured in the Maoists' attack in the incident.
The Maoists had broken window panes of a tourist restaurant at Thamel in Kathmandu situated in a building owned by Nepali Congress vice-president Prakash Man Singh for defying their strike Tuesday night.
In Kalanki a teen-aged Maoist cadre was killed and two others sustained after they were hit by a motorbike ridden by Armed Police Force personnel triggering protest in the area.
In Satungal area in western Kathmandu the locals opened shops defying the Maoists' strike.
The locals had protested as the Maoists operated their vehicles to transport people and supply water while not allowing others to move vehicles even to transport patients.
Meanwhile, home minister Bhim Rawal told media persons that the government is trying to resume supply of essential goods such as medicine, cooking gas, food grains, and vegetables in Kathmandu by providing security escort in coordination with traders.
Market prices of vegetable and fruits have skyrocketed in Kathmandu's market due to the strike.
He said that the government is committed to provide security to life and property during the strike.
He asked the Maoists to withdraw the strike and seek solution through table talks.
There are about one lakh Maoist cadres brought from different districts to Kathmandu to participate in the agitation, according to reports.
However, daily hundreds of Maoists are returning home as they faced problems for food and accommodation.
Many Maoist cadres have fallen ill due to unhygienic food and polluted water.
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