Service seekers are facing a hard time due to the absence of secretaries in their concerned VDCs in Bhojpur. People in remote villages have complained that they have been deprived of easy access to essential services because most of the VDC secretaries stay in the district headquarters, citing work overload.

Saugat Gautam of Nepaledanda VDC said the people from his village were compelled to walk for three to four days to reach the district headquarters to meet the secretary and get his recommendation letters to obtain citizenships, passports, and  birth certificates.

According to the District Development Committee (DDC), service seekers in Gupteshor, Gogane, Basikhora, Changre, Ranibas, Siddhashor, Nagi, Chaukidanda, Nepaledanda, Khatamma, Pawala, Kot, Champe Helauccha, Yaku, Amtek, Kulung, Balakha, Dummana, Okhre, Wasingtharpu, Patlepani and Manebhanjyang VDCs have been affected by the absence of secretaries.

A DDC official said that some secretaries have been given an additional responsibility of looking into the matters of the VDCs that do not have their own secretaries.  

One such secretary is Subash Tamang. Although Tamang was officially appointed the secretary of Kudakkaule VDC, he was later instructed to also fulfil the secretary duty for Chaukidanda, Nepaledanda and Khatamma VDCs.

“The VDC secretaries are severely overworked because they have been assigned to look into the affairs of other VDCs as well,” Tamang said.

Another VDC secretary, Suresh Kumar Dhungel, said they cannot provide services in several VDCs at once.

“Various development activities and services have been affected,” he said.  

In the absence of elected people’s representatives, the VDC secretaries have increased responsibilities at the local bodies since 2002.