MAHOTTARI, JANUARY 17
People's representatives of Bardibas Municipality have pledged to end rampant extraction of river products and shut quarries operating illegally in the local level.
Bardibas has become a hub for the illegal extraction of river products.
Their commitment came following complaints that the municipality leadership did not take any initiative despite frequent complaints about the rampant extraction of sand and pebbles at more than 20 areas in the local level.
"We will shut quarries operating illegally. All quarries within the local level have been asked to prove their legality.
Now, they will be regulated," municipality Mayor Bidur Kumar Karki said.
He also pledged to effectively implement the guidelines related to extraction of river products.
But the local opposition parties have said the mayor's decision came too late when the term of the present local representatives was about to come to an end. They alleged that the mayor was trying to earn political mileage by making this announcement before the local election.
The existing local governments can stay latest till May 20 this year as per the legal and constitutional provisions.
Elections must be held 15 days before the existing representatives' terms end so that new ones can replace them.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 18, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
