Rukum, August 28:

Out of 43 VDC secretaries, 35 have been living in Musikot, the district headquarters of Rukum, forcing locals to walk for days to get their work done.

This is so despite the fact that the government has directed all VDC secretaries to return to respective VDCs.

Sane Budha of Ranmamaikot said villagers are compelled to walk all the way to the district headquarters to get their work done. We have to walk for five to seven days and spend Rs 2,000 to reach Musikot, he said. “We have been facing hardships due to the absence of VDC secretaries in VDC offices,” Budha said.

Kyarsingh BK of Mathigaon in Rungha-7 said he arrived at the district headquarters after walking for days to get a birth certificate of my son.

Citing insecurity, 35 VDC secretaries have not returned to their respective VDCs, villagers said.

Most of the VDC secretaries have been working in a room provided by the District Development Committee office. However, some secretaries are even not found in the district headquarters, as the DDC has not been monitoring them.

“I came here to register the death of my mother, but could not locate the VDC secretary,” said Man Bahadur Basnet, who came to the district headquarters walking three days from Gotamkot-3. The DDC has neither punished the defiant secretaries nor it has recommended action against them. “Many VDC secretaries are still based in the headquarters,” said

the Rukum Local Development Officer.

Meanwhile, eight secretaries of Chaukhabang, Chhiwang, Pipal, Banphikot, Khankh, Chaurajahari, Syanlapakha and Kotjahari VDCs have returned to their respective offices.