Govt's plan to appoint VDC secys in limbo

KATHMANDU: The government's plan to transfer officer level employees to the post of secretaries in 383 Village Development Committees (VDCs) of different districts across the country is yet to be translated into action, thanks to the government employees' reluctance to go to the villages.

Altogether 1,279 of the total 3,915 VDCs are without secretaries for a long time. However, some 60 VDCs are overcrowded with secretaries in the Kathmandu Valley, Morang, Jhapa, Kaski, Rupandehi and Chitwan districts. Among them, 29 VDC offices are overstaffed in three districts of the Kathmandu Valley alone.

"Almost all the government officers who were transferred to those VDCs rejected to receive the transfer letters," said Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, spokesperson at the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD). "Very few candidates accepted the transfer.”

"We've urged the Cabinet to immediately appoint the VDC secretaries in the vacant positions," he said. "But we're yet to receive the government's response."

The MoLD had decided to assign officer-level employees the duty of secretaries in the would-be municipality and headquarters based VDCs a few months ago.

According to the MoLD, less than 100 officers were recently assigned in those VDCs. "But it could not be effective," said Thapaliya. "Now, the employees junior to officers will be assigned in those VDCs," he added.He also criticised the decision of the Ministry of Public Administration to appoint the VDC secretaries on contract basis. "Such a decision is very much illogical as the offices of the local bodies directly deliver services and development to public.”