Dipayal, July 31

The erstwhile regional administrative hub, Dipayal-Silgadi Municipality in Doti is slowly losing its past glory with more and more people leaving the place.

As per data of the past one year, 220 persons have migrated from here. Migration has intensified as the administrative units here have either been adjusted in the local levels or shifted to the provincial headquarters Dhangadi. “Even the ones who have their houses here are in no mood to stay put anymore,” said Dipayal-Silgadi Municipality Social Development Officer Rameshchandra Joshi, adding that businesses based here are also gradually shifting elsewhere.

Former deputy mayor of Dipayal-Silgadi Prem Bahadur Shah lamented that the municipality was facing the brunt of change as a result of state restructuring.

“Though every regime in the past had duly recognised Dipayal-Silgadi as the centre for the entire far-west region, federalism has done huge injustice by shifting the headquarters of the province elsewhere,” said Shah.

Local hotel entrepreneur Khemraj Bhandari, on his part, identified lack of facilities as the biggest reason that has led people and businesses to leave this place.

Many locals also noted that the municipality had failed to see development despite remaining  the hub for the entire region for long.

Declared a municipality around 36 years ago, the municipality has failed to ensure basic facilities such as electricity, drinking water, road and health services to every ward here till date. There are just two secondary schools and just one college for higher education. A regional hospital proposed 26 years ago has failed to materialise all these years.