The Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC) has finally decided to keep the number of local units (village and municipal councils) to a maximum of 744 after revising restructuring criteria.

The LLRC on Friday made public the revised criteria for fixing the number of local units, as per which the number of local units will be between 507 and 744.

Earlier, the LLRC had in July proposed 565 local units across the country.

As per the revised criteria, for a village council the population size in mountain districts has to be 13,000, in hill districts it has to be 22,000 and in Tarai districts it has to be 40,000. Earlier, for a village council the population size for mountain districts, hill districts and Tarai districts was 15,000; 25,000 and 50,000 respectively.

Similarly, for each municipal council, the population size in mountain districts has to be 17,000, it has to be 31,000 in the hill districts and in Tarai districts the population size has to be 60,000. Earlier, population size for mountain, hill and Tarai districts was 20,000; 35,000 and 75,000 respectively. The LLRC’s revised criteria was made public two weeks after the government amended its terms of reference, making the area clusters (Ilakas) one of the bases while fixing the number and boundaries of local units.

Earlier when the LLRC had proposed 565 units, it had taken geography, population size, community clusters and access to the government services into account.

But political parties could not agree on the LLRC proposal, with the Nepali Congress vehemently objecting to it saying the general public would face a hard time accessing government services if the number of local units was kept at as low as 565.

The government then directed the LLRC to make Ilakas, whose number stands at 927, the main basis for restructuring of local bodies. But following LLRC’s objection, the government again changed its ToR, making the Ilakas one of the bases instead of the main basis.

“We hope the new criteria would be acceptable to all,” said Dor Mani Poudel, a member of the LLRC, on Friday.

The LLRC has also directed all its district level technical committees to submit their reports by November 5.

One of the members of the LLRC, however, has objected to the new criteria. Sunil Ranjan Singh said that Ilakas cannot be made the basis for restructuring of local bodies. He has also called for special criteria to set up special zones for the people from deprived community.

As per the new deadline, the LLRC has to submit its final report by mid-November to allow ample time for the Election Commission to prepare for the local level elections that have been proposed for March.