The Maoists have ordered the secretaries of the Village Development Committees (VDC) of Lamjung district not to return to their duties before elections to the constituent assembly are held, reports said.

The Maoists have also said they will not allow the ’employees of the old regime’ to work with their new government in rural areas.

A few days back, the Maoists forced the secretary of Gaunda VDC of the district to leave the village when he returned there to resume his duties. While some VDC secretaries were optimistic about their return to villages to resume duties after the change in political situation in the country, the situation has not improved.

The Local administration has already sent orders to the secretaries to return to their villages and join duties at the earliest possible. “We had asked VDC secretaries to be ready to return to their villages after the changed political situation. However, they have not been able to return due to the Maoists’ stance,” Local Development Officer Govinda Bahadur Karki was quoted as saying.

Most of the VDC secretaries of Lamjung district are in the district headquarters after 1998.