Kavre, February 11:

The Ministry of Local Development (MoLD) has ordered the secretaries of 85 VDCs in Kavre, who had put in the papers two weeks ago after the Maoists threatened to take ‘physical action’ against them if they did not resign, to rejoin the office from Sunday.

The Maoists, issuing a statement on January 18, had called on the officials of the DDC and VDCs to resign within 10 days or face consequences.

While 39 VDC secretaries had resigned on January 27, 46 had resigned on February 1.

Only one member of the DDC has resigned so far.

Secretary of Patlekhet VDC, Bishwa Nath Dahal, said the MoLD has ordered them to rejoin the office.

“We are caught in the middle. On the one hand, the Maoists warn us of physical action. On the other, the government tells us to rejoin the office at any cost.”

The local development officer will issue a circular to the VDC secretaries to rejoin the office in accordance with the order issued by the MoLD yesterday.

Taking into account the present situation, the MoLD, which has not accepted the resignation of the VDC secretaries, has told the latter to discharge their duties from the district headquarters. The secretaries have urged human rights activists, civil society and media persons to ask the Maoists to withdraw the threat.