Kathmandu, November 11

The Local Bodies Restructuring Commission has been flooded with complaints from disgruntled groups who complained that the restructuring of local units in districts had split their ethnic clusters.

The crowd of dissatisfied groups was so huge today that the constitutional body was compelled to call the police.

“A lot of complaints have been lodged and several disgruntled groups keep coming to LBRC’s central office to register complaints,” said LBRC Chief Balananda Poudel. He said his office had to call the police after a huge crowd gathered at the office today.

According to Poudel, even lawmakers and ministers have been visiting LBRC’s office leading delegations from their respective areas to lodge complaints. Most complaints are related to demarcation of boundaries of local bodies, while some have complained about the overlap of ethnic clusters.

According to Poudel, Adivasis and Janajatis were dissatisfied that their ethnic and cultural clusters have been split. They complained that political parties and LBRC’s district office ignored genuine concerns of the local people while forging consensus on demarcation of local bodies.

Poudel said the constitutional body would review genuine concerns of dissatisfied people and groups. He added that the office had been asking district technical assistance committees   about complaints of people.

Some people and communities have asked LBRC to correct demarcation made by parties and DTAC. Disgruntled groups have warned the LBRC that they would not accept demarcation if their concerns were not addressed.

LBRC member Neeraj Shah said majority of complaints were received from ethnic majority areas of hill districts. He said most complainants questioned the demarcation purposed by the parties and said it would be an injustice if their ethnic clusters were split.

“In most places ethnic clusters have been split in an attempt to forge consensus,” said Shah, adding that political parties could keep ethnic clusters intact while taking decision on demarcation.

LBRC said so far 60 districts had sent reports.