Kathmandu, February 19

At a time when the government is mulling increasing the number of local bodies in the districts of Province-2, LBRC Chief Balananda Paudel has told Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal that revision of the report will not be possible as the commission has only a few days before its tenure expires.

Asked how the government could add to the number of local bodies in Province-2,  the prime minister’s Political Adviser Chakrapani Khanal said if the population criteria was revised in the Tarai, 22 to 25 local bodies could be added to province-2.

“Currently there is one municipality for over 52,000 population, but in the periphery of Kathmandu there is one municipality for about 46,000 population. If the LBRC report is revised so as to have one village council in Province-2 for 46,000 population, 22 to 25 local bodies can be added in the province,” Khanal added.

According to  LBRC member Neeraj Shah, Paudel met the prime minister today and told him that the constitutional body  would not be able  do execute the additional task due to time constraint.

The LBRC has less than three weeks to complete the remaining tasks.

Paudel said if the LBRC’s report was revised, then the report would be more disputable and would not help resolve the existing problems in any way.

As per the constitution, the commission has to submit report on special, protected and autonomous regions, structure of public administration in the federal model and their economic viabilities by March 13. According to Shah, Paudel reminded the PM that the LBRC’s terms of reference did not allow the commission to increase the number of local bodies in a  particular province.

Paudel further told the PM that changing the original report without consulting stakeholders of Province-2 would not address the grievances of people and parties of the said province.

The PM had called Paudel to discuss the task force’s suggestions.

The government task force had recommended increasing the number of local bodies in Province-2. “Our chairman told the PM that LBRC members have been working to complete the remaining tasks and would leave office after the commission’s tenure ended on March 13,” said Shah.