Kathmandu, May 22

The government today decided to increase 22 local levels in the Tarai districts. With this, the total number of local levels has reached 766.

The government also decided to upgrade Biratnagar and Birgunj sub-metropolitan cities as metropolitan cities. A Cabinet meeting held this evening at Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s residence in Baluwatar took a decision to this effect, stated a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

The government decided to increase two local levels in Sunsari, one in Saptari, two in Rautahat, one in Parsa, one in Dhanusha, three in Sarlahi, one in Bara, three in Nawalparasi, three in Rupandehi, three in Kapilvastu, one in Kailali, and one in Banke district.

The Cabinet meeting also decided to upgrade24 rural municipalities as municipalities. Among the rural municipalities that were upgraded as municipalities today, two are in Jhapa, one in Siraha, 11 in Rautahat, one in Dhanusha, one in Bara, two in Rupandehi, two in Banke, one in Kailali and three in Mahottari district.

A task force formed under Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Federal Affairs and Local Development Bijaya KumarGachhadar had made recommendation to increase the number of local levels and upgrade some local levels. The government’s decision to increase the number of local levels comes in the backdrop of agitating Madhesi forces’ demands to increase the number of local levels in Madhes before the second phase of local levels.

Earlier, the government had created 744 local levels.