The people in remote Bhotkhola Rural Municipality, Sankhuwasabha, have been greatly affected due to the shortage of employees at the local level.

The administrative region, which shares borders with China, has been divided into five wards, but, since 2017, a single secretary has been executing the works of all five zones.

Thudok Bhote of Hatiya, complaining of difficulties he has had to face while seeking service at the ward office, said, “There is only one ward secretary in the rural municipality. He cannot be expected to perform works of all the wards efficiently. Service seekers like us are the ones who have to bear the brunt of the employee shortage.”

Dawa Lama, the ward secretary, admitted that the service seekers had been affected due to the shortage of staff at the ward offices.

“Bhotkhola is the most remote local unit in the district. A villager has to walk for two days to reach the centre of the rural municipality. The service seekers do not get timely services due to the shortage of employees,” said Lama.

The municipal office’s data shows that Bhotkhola has a population of 6,570. The region is yet to be connected to a road network and does not have electricity and communication facilities.

Lama said it was difficult to reach the office of all wards and provide service to the people.

“I generally go to each ward office and work for three-four days every month. I cannot be present in all ward offices,” said Lama.

Temba Bhote, the chairman of the rural municipality, said that the office was unable to provide services to the people as expected. “There are posts for 27 employees in the rural municipality but we haven’t been able to fill these vacancies. We are working with the help of a single secretary and four other employees,” he said. Lamenting the fact that employees deployed to the municipality stay no longer than two to three months, Temba said, “Employees deployed here either arrange for transfer elsewhere, mostly to the capital or in places near the district headquarters.”

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