LBRC report treats Madhes unfairly: UDMF
Kathmandu, February 15
The United Democratic Madhesi Front today told Minister of Federal Affairs and Local Development Hitraj Pandey that the Local Bodies Restructuring Commission’s report did not ensure local bodies in Madhes in proportion with the region’s population.
A group of UDMF leaders today met Minister Pandey who heads a government taskforce formed to suggest revision of the report submitted by Local Bodies Restructuring Commission.
Vice Chair of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Brikhesh Chandra Lal said the UDMF leaders informally met Minister Pandey as the front was yet to formally get LBRC’s report and expressed their dissatisfaction with it. According to Lal, the UDMF leaders told the minister that they were opposed to the LBRC’s report as it ensured only one-third local bodies in Madhes, which is home to more than half of the country’s population.
The UDMF leaders argued that fewer local bodies in Madhes would affect the region’s representation and would also curtail government grants and budget in the Madhes.
UDMF leaders also told the minister that local bodies should be under the province’s jurisdiction as per the accepted norms of federalism. They also argued that LBRC’s report was incomplete and against the constitutional mandate as it had come up with the report without fixing the number of special, protected and autonomous regions. UDMF leaders told the minister that the LBRC report was being opposed not only by Province-2 but by all the stakeholders across the country.
Lal said that Minister Pandey said he did not have permission to provide copies of the LBRC’s report, but he would convey their concerns to the prime minister.
Meanwhile coordinators of eight districts of Province-2 today submitted their written suggestions to taskforce coordinator Pandey who is likely to submit the task force’s suggestions to the PM tomorrow. The taskforce sought suggestions from eight coordinators of eight districts of Province-2 who submitted their recommendations today.
Rautahat Coordinator Banshidhar Mishra said he suggested adding local bodies in the Tarai and adjusting contiguous ethnic clusters. Mishra said he also suggested that the government should hold local polls as soon as possible. Mishra said the LBRC had suggested creating 15 local bodies in Rautahat. But he suggested adding more local bodies in the district and if that was not possible, then adjusting clusters in the existing number of local bodies keeping in mind the accessibility of the beneficiaries.
Saptari Coordinator Subodh Kumar Pokharel said he told the taskforce to adjust ethnic clusters and fix numbers as per the terms of reference assigned to the LBRC.
Sarlahi Coordinator Shambhu Lal Shrestha said he suggested adding local bodies and adjusting geographical and ethnic clusters.
