The government rejected the proposal for reinstatement of the local bodies Sunday and decided to run them by civil servants ‘for the time being’.
A meeting of the Council of Ministers rejected the proposal tabled by Local Development minister Rajendra Pandey for reinstatement of the local bodies. As per the cabinet decision, local development officers will be overseeing the affairs in district development committees, executive officers in municipalities while the responsibilities of village development committees has been given to secretaries.
Minister Pandey told the state-run Radio Nepal that the Prime Minister assured, regarding his proposal, that this provision was for a short period and that proper decision would be taken on the proposal for reinstatement of the local bodies. He didn’t say the proposal had been rejected.
Pandey’s party, the CPN (UML), had brought a proposal at the recent meeting of the seven-party alliance (SPA) but no agreement could be reached. In the meantime, a proposal tabled by Nepal Workers and Peasants Party chairman Narayan Man Bijukchhe at the House of Representatives for reinstatement of the local bodies remains still undecided.
Remaining five allies of the SPA remain unsupportive of the idea of revival of the local bodies elected seven years ago whereas the Maoists have been saying that such a step could prove a major setback for the ongoing peace negotiations.
Majority of seats in the local bodies had gone to the UML while the Nepali Congress was in second position.