KATHMANDU: Students and teachers of Kathmandu School of Law (KSL) today handed over a concept paper on ‘local government’s structure’ along with an 11-point-proposal to Subash Chandra Nembang, Constituent

Assembly (CA) chairman, urging him to incorporate them in the upcoming

constitution.

The students took out a rally from Babarmahal to New Baneshwor after which they submitted the concept paper and the proposal to the CA chair.

Addressing a press conference organised here by KSL ahead of the rally, Associate Professor Hong Kong Rana, academic in-charge, KSL said that the concept paper was prepared with an expectation that the concerned stakeholders would work towards making the local bodies more effective and powerful in the new constitution.

“Local government is the place to make use of the sovereign rights of citizen,” he added.

The 11-point proposal states that the constitutional guarantee of local government was not only about delegated legislation rather it was fundamental and sovereign rights of the people in an inclusive democracy. Similarly, the proposal states that democracy sans institutionalisation of local government could not be materialised.

Likewise, the concept paper stated scientific division of power among centre, province and local government as one of the keys to maintaining balance of political, economic and administrative powers. It argues that such a balance was necessary for ‘national integration’ and ‘permanency of the constitution’.

Pradeep Pathak, Promotion and Development Officer, KSL said the concept paper was readied after consultations with the CA members, experts of local bodies, representatives of civil society and the general public, taking seven months.

Pathak said interaction and orientation workshops were also held in ten districts, including Rasuwa, Palpa, Siraha and Parsa and the deliberations were aired live in television.

Top leaders of three major political parties — Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN-Maoist — with the support of MS Nepal/Action Aid Denmark and Nepal aired their views, Pathak added.