Valley
2,000 more staff needed to handle all local units
As the government prepares to bring local level units into operation in a week, it needs to add at least 2,000 staff to start services in 744 municipal and village councils.As the government prepares to bring local level units into operation in a week, it needs to add at least 2,000 staff to start services in 744 municipal and village councils.
Endorsing the report of the government taskforce led by Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD) Hitraj Pandey, the Cabinet on Sunday ramped up local units to 744 from 719 at the recommendation of the Local Level Restructuring Commission.
The new local set-ups will come into effect once the government publishes the new report in Nepal Gazette. According to MoFALD Secretary Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, the report will be published in a week, brining into operation 744 local units which will replace the existing 217 municipalities and 3,117 village development committees across the country.
According to Article 303 of the constitution, the existing local bodies will remain until their restructuring.
In the report, the commission has suggested each local unit would require at least another 70 staff, including under secretaries. Given the LLRC standard, a total of 52,000 staff will be needed across the country. Preliminary works can be started if an additional 2,000 staff are deputed in the field at different levels, according to Adhikari.
“We need at least 400 under secretaries to lead the local units,” said Adhikari. As the VDCs are currently functioning under non-gazetted first class and gazetted third class officers, the Local Development Ministry is looking for under secretaries who can be deputed in the local units immediately.
If the ministry fails to find the adequate number of under secretaries, the senior among gazetted third class officers will be given the charge. The Local Development Ministry has asked the Ministry for General Administration for deputisation of staffers for the purpose.
At least three VDCs have been merged to form a village council, where the existing VDC offices will be turned into service centres.
The local level units have been given the mandate to formulate local laws, curriculum and governance in addition to the works being done by local bodies. At present, the local bodies are authorised to recommend for citizenship and passport, collect land revenue, keep birth and death records and distribute old-age allowance, among others.