SINDUPALCHOK: Minister for Local Development, Ram Chandra Jha, Friday claimed the local bodies were facing difficulties due to insufficient fund.

Inaugurating the sixteenth district council meeting of Sindupalchowk District Development Committee, Jha said, “As the Finance Ministry did not allocate sufficient budget, development works could not be carried out smoothly,” adding, though they demanded five billion rupees, the Finance Ministry released Rs 900 million only.

Finance Minister, Dr Baburam Bhattarai, during his visit to the district had claimed that budget could not be released as the ministry of local development did not cooperate.

Minister Jha, however, denying the accusation said, “We are prepared to implement the budget if sufficient funds were released.”

He further said the local bodies could not be formed because of differences among political parties. He also expressed his hope that the local bodies would be formed soon.

“As the concept I had forwarded to the cabinet in connection to the formation of the local bodies was not implemented, I have urged the conflicting parties to forward their own concepts,” he said. Jha also claimed that he would set a new record in carrying out development works.