TEHRATHUM: Local developmental activities in the district have been adversely affected due to the absence of chief at the District Development Committee for the past one and half month.

The post of the DDC chief has been lying vacant since LDO Pashupatinath Acharya was transferred to DDC Sankhuwasabha on December 18 last year. However, Sankhuwasabha LDO Yubaraj Subedi, who was transferred to Myagdi, has not arrived yet.

Staffers at the DDC said works of project distribution, project agreement, among others have been affected due to the absence of the chief in the office. Dissemination of budgets for the projects has also been affected. Various VDC staffers have also not received their salaries as the DDC has not allocated budget for the purpose. Similarly, distribution of social security allowances has also been upset.

Gauri Shrestha, staffer, project department, DDC, said that they could not move forward with local development projects’ agreements due to the absence of LDO.

He added, “Payment of the completed projects has also been halted.’’ Shrestha lamented that they spend their office hours basking in the sun as they had become jobless due to the absence of the chief.

Nayaraj Nepal, acting chief, DDC, however, admitted that official works have been halted as he did not have a full authority. He added, “Most of the projects are yet to be divided as an all-party meeting has not been called for the last one and half month.’’

Bishnu Prasad Adhikari, secretary, VDC Secretaries Right Protection Committee, budget has not been allocated in the 32 VDCs of the district. He added, “The staffers at the VDC offices have not got their salary for more than four months now.”