Kathmandu, January 5:

Top leaders of the CPN-Maoist and CPN-UML today formed a four-member task force to revive the defunct local bodies by the second week of January.

Local Development Minister Ramchandra Jha and Rajendra Pandey of the UML and Dev Prasad Gurung and Post Bahadur Bogati of the CPN-Maoist have been assigned to prepare for the revival.

Maoist spokesperson Dinanath Sharma said the task force would come up with its proposal to this effect by tomorrow. A joint mechanism of both the parties will meet tomorrow to finalise ways for the revival of local bodies.

He said the results of the CA elections, various agreements reached among the parties in the past and constitutional provision would be taken as a guideline for the revival.

Sharma said they would also hold a joint meeting of all the parties on Thursday on the formation of local bodies. Development works to be carried out by the local bodies — District Development Committees and Village Development Committees — have been hampered in the long absence of their representatives.

Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has earmarked around Rs 8 billion for development and social welfare scheme to be carried out by the local bodies.

According to Sharma, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal asked the UML leadership not to act like an opposition. “I request you to act as a partner of the coalition government,” Sharma quoted the PM as telling the UML leaders.