Kathmandu, January 15

The 10-point Godavari Declaration that the Office of Kathmandu Metropolitan City announced in relation to the integrated development of the Kathmandu Valley has floated a plan for establishing and operating a Metropolitan Local Court in accordance with the provision of the Constitution of Nepal.

The declaration said the court will have its jurisdiction within Kathmandu only.

KMC chief Rudra Singh Tamang said work on drafting the Act will proceed soon.

The declaration has also drawn the attention of concerned stakeholders to the need to hold local elections.

The last elections of local bodies were held in 1997. At present, the local bodies are being administered by civil servants, without any elected representative.

“It is highly critical to keep in mind the significance of elected local governance according to the mandate and provisions of the Constitution of Nepal for sustainable and integrated development at the local level,” reads an excerpt from the declaration issued by KMC chief Rudra Singh Tamang, earlier this week.

It has also underscored the need to enact the Metropolitan Act to pave the way for implementation of the Autonomous Valley Metro Area while bringing about uniformity in policy decisions, procedures and practices to proceed with integrated operation of local governments in the Valley where possible.

Similarly, the declaration has vowed to carry out integrated programmes got sustainable urban development by making efforts to protect the environment in line with the concept of public-private partnership.

It has also taken the use of information technology as an important basis of local governance system to deliver service in a prompt and economic manner besides collaborating among the local governments in the Valley for resource management and operation to support the integrated development process.

A joint committee of all local governments in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur will be formed for planned and integrated development of the Valley.

The declaration aims at exchanging best practices of local bodies, enhancing capacity development, technology transfer and development, building a resilient community, developing strategic policy framework for disaster management and resilient community, promoting tourism, waste management, making revenue mobilisation effective and ensuring peace.