Rautahat, April 8

Most of the village development committees in the remote areas of Rautahat are without secretaries, depriving hundreds of service seekers of various services.

According to sources, almost all VDC secretaries stay in Gaur, the district headquarters. The local folks have no option but to rush to the district headquarters for birth certificate, marriage registration, death registration and land ownership certificates, among others.

Besides, various developmental projects have also been affected in the villages due to the absence of VDC secretaries, said Mohammad Salimullah of Jokaha VDC.

“Our time as well as money is being wasted even for minor services. Most of us earn our living working as labourers. If we don’t go to work even for a day, we are unable to manage even two square meals a day. Amid such a situation, we have to go to Gaur for even minor works. Sometimes when we try to contact the secretaries over phone, they do not receive our calls,” said Punis Dash of Bramhapuri.

Though the Ministry of Federal Affairs has directed all the VDC secretaries to remain in their offices, those in Rautahat have been defying the government order. Of the 52 secretaries for 84 VDCs of the district, as many as 20 secretaries have been deputed to other districts. Only 32 secretaries have been left to look after all the VDCs of the district, informed the District Development Committee. “A secretary is supposed to look after minimum two to five VDCs in the district,” said Baiju Thakur of the DDC.

Local Development Officer of Rautahat, Bandana Jha, said the problem could be solved only if adequate number of VDC secretaries are appointed in the district. “We have reported to the concerned authority about the same,” he said.