Ramechhap, February 25

Trained conciliators have reached villages and municipalities of Ramechhap with the view to facilitating settlement of disputes at the local level.

As many as 296 mediators have been mobilised in the rural villages and towns. The facilitators were trained by Tamakoshi Sewa Committee, a local non-governmental organisation. The training was organised with financial support from The Asia Foundation under the community reconciliation programme.

According to committee director Govind Prasad Ghimire, separate teams have been deputed to each village and municipality. “While six-member teams have been deputed to the 45 VDCs, 12-member teams have been sent to the two municipalities in the district,” said Ghimire, adding, “A conciliation centre has been set up in each VDC and municipality.”

Regarding the mandate of the concilia tors, Dimipokhari VDC-based Conciliation Centre coordinator Janak Raya said the conciliators will facilitate settlement of disputes at the VDC and municipality levels, as envisioned by the Local Self-governance Act,1999

“The conciliators will not act like lawyers or judges but facilitate settlement of disputes,” said Raya.

Angnuri Sherpa, coordinator of the conciliation centre based in Priti VDC, informed that more people are availing themselves of the service offered by centre.