Rautahat, August 23

As many as 12 local levels of Rautahat are yet to hold assembly due to dispute among local representatives over the distribution of development plans and budget expenses of the last fiscal.

With looming uncertainty over the assembly, development projects have been halted though it is already the third week of August. As per local level operation act, each local body needs to hold assembly at least 20 days before the running fiscal year wraps up.  There are 16 municipalities and two rural municipalities in Rautahat. Of them, only five municipalities and one rural municipality held the assembly on stipulated time.

Chandrapur, Garuda, Brindaban, Fatuwa, Bijayapur, Katahariya, Gadhimai, Madhav Narayan, Rajdevi, Rajpur, Dewahi Gonahi and Gujara municipalities and Durga Bhagawati Rural Municipality are yet to hold the assembly due to dispute.

“Clashes erupted in some local levels due to discontent while distributing plans, while in other bodies, the dispute led due to discontent over development expenses under various headings,” as per sources.

District Coordination Committee Officer Kirti Raj Subedi said local levels failing to hold the assembly might not get federal grants.