Ramechhap, January 25

Eight months after the local elections were held here, most of the ward offices under Ramechhap’s Manthali municipality are running from the district headquarters. As most of the ward chairpersons are involved in different businesses based in the headquarters itself, they have been running these offices from here saying the location would be suitable for locals as well.

The municipality has a total of 14 wards. Ward offices of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12 and 14 number wards are being operated from the headquarters itself. All these offices are located at different places in Ward No1.

Meanwhile, service seekers have complained that they are required to make the long haul to the headquarters  to get their things done.

“I had to register my son’s birth with the authorities, but I had to spend as much as 300 rupees to get to the ward office in the headquarters,” lamented Aaiti Tamang of Manthali, Ward No 14, adding she would have never taken part in the local elections if she knew things were not going to change. Aaiti, however, is not the only one who has been affected by the situation.

CPN-UML district Secretary Anand Shrestha, a resident of ward No 6, accused ward chairpersons of making a mockery of federalism by opting to run their offices from the district headquarters itself.

On his part, administrative officer Atmaram Satyal of Manthali municipality also criticised the ward chairpersons. “We are aware of the fact and have conveyed the locals’ concerns to the ward chairpersons concerned, but to no avail. They don’t listen to us,” he said.