Ramechhap, February 5

Area Administration Office of Lapchane at Umakunda Rural Municipality, Ramechhap, has remained closed for the past two years.

The area administration office was set up at Lapchane to provide service to locals of the far-flung area three years ago. The office was established with much fanfare. However, it shut down after employees refused to go to the office. The office has quota for five employees, including a section officer. Employees, who had gone to Manthali after locking the door, are yet to return to the office.

Dil Bahadur Shrestha, a local, said the office had opened intermittently for around six months only. More than 450 people received citizenship certificate in that period.

After the office closed locals were forced to walk for three days to get to Manthali to avail service.

Landlord Shyamraj Shrestha bemoaned that he was not paid the rent of his house ever since the office was shut.

Locals have repeatedly requested to the DAO and home ministry to resume the office but their pleas have gone unheeded.

Ramechhap CDO Lila Kumari KC Pandey admitted that the DAO had failed to bring the area administration office into operation due to lack of employees. Pandey said that efforts were under way to resume the office.