KATHMANDU: This is the 11th time since 2002 that the Ministry of Local Development has proposed the formation of 41 new municipalities. However, the ministry is not hopeful about the declaration of the new municipalities this time around too.

A technical committee formed under Article 74 of the Local Governance Act-1998 recommended the formation of 41 new municipalities on the basis of infrastructure development in town-oriented VDCs. According to the Act, a VDC in Tarai should have a population of at least 20,000, while the VDCs in hilly and mountainous regions should have a population of at least 10,000 to be a municipality.

According to the MoLD, the technical committee has proposed the formation of 41 new municipalities and 55 sub-municipalities. “But the Act does not have the provision of forming sub-municipalities at present,” said Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, spokesperson at the MoLD. “However, the government can amend the Act to declare sub-municipalities,” he added.

Thapaliya said the ministry had proposed to the government to announce the new municipalities in the upcoming fiscal year. “It is our top priority. The new municipalities will come into effect from July 16 if the government includes that in the budget,” he added.

The newly proposed municipalities are Taplejung (Taplejung), Phidim (Panchthar), Birtamod (Jhapa), Urlabari (Morang), Myanglung (Terhathum), Bhojpur (Bhojpur), Diktel (Khotang), Katari (Udaypur), Mohanpur Kalyanpur and Kanchanpur Rupnagar (Saptari), Ramnagar Mirchaiya (Siraha), Dhanushadham and Shakhuwa Mahendranagar (Dhanusha), Nigaul Gaushala (Mahottari), Manthali (Ramechhap) and Hariwan (Sarlahi.)

Other proposed municipalities are Chandranigahpur (Rautahat), Jitpur (Bara), Chautara (Sindhupalchowk), Panchkhal (Kavre), Shankharapur (Kathmandu), Karyabinayak and Champapur (Lalitpur), Nilkantha (Dhading), Lamjung (Lamjung), Khairenitar, Dulegauda and Bandipur (Tanahun), Kushma (Parbat), Beni (Myagdi), Tamghas (Gulmi), Sandhikharka (Arghakhanchi), Gaidakot and Sunwal (Nawalparasi), Pyuthan (Pyuthan), Salyan (Salyan), Kohalpur (Banke), Rajapur (Bardiya), Chainpur (Bajhang), Mangalsen and Sanfebagar (Achham) and Chandannath (Jumla).