Ruling, oppn MPs oppose LBRC report

Kathmandu, January 13

Lawmakers from both the ruling and the opposition parties have expressed their dissatisfaction over restructuring of the local bodies by the Local Bodies Restructuring Commission.

They also warned that mass protests would break out if the government failed to correct the boundaries of the local bodies on time.

NC lawmaker Deepak Kuinkel (Kathmandu Constituency No 2) said the LBRC report was not in sync with the ground reality.

He added that the report had recommended merger of Sankharapur municipality with a nearby municipality, but the former had older civilization than that of Kathmandu and the merger was not natural.

Kuinkel demanded that the report be revised. He accused the members of LBRC of ignoring the revised ToR set by the new government.

Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party-Nepal lawmaker Mahendra Ray Yadav said the LBRC office bearers had restructured local bodies sitting in the capital after they failed to do field work in Province 2. Stating that local bodies should be under the jurisdiction of provinces, Yadav said the government should hold general elections first.

CPN-UML lawmaker Panch Karna Rai said the LBRC recommended some places as local units even though local people had not resorted to such a demand. ‘’The report has recommended Lami Danda in Khotang as a village council, though local people or politicians never put such a demand.”

He also accused LBRC of recommending merger of such areas from where people had to walk eight hours to reach government offices.

Rai said the LBRC had to take into account natural resources and economic viability of the local bodies while restructuring them but the commission failed to do so.

Tarai Madhes Democratic Party lawmaker Jungi Lal Ray said the LBRC proposed only 35 per cent of local bodies in Madhes, which is home to s 51 per cent population.

LBRC submitted its final report to the government on January 6, proposing creation of 719 local bodies across the country.

Among the 719 local units, there are only 256 local units in 20 districts of Madhes.

As per the report, there will be four metropolitan cities, 12 sub-metropolitan cities, 241 municipalities and 462 village councils. There will be 6,553 wards throughout the country.