Local Bodies Restructuring Commission proposes 565 local units

Kumar Chaulagain and Sushil Darnal (Kathmandu) / July 18: The Commission to Determine the Number and Border of the Village Bodies, Municipalities, and Special, Protected and Autonomous Areas has made public its preliminary proposal.

According to the preliminary proposal, there will be around 600 local units across the country. Organising a news conference here today, the Commission has proposed keeping a total of 565 units at the local level throughout the country as per the provisions of the constitution.

Commission’s spokesman Dr Hari Poudel said the local bodies’ restructuring has been done and their number has been determined on the basis of the population distribution as per the geographical regions, the structure of the district coordination committee, area, the ratio of the population of the existing local bodies and the nature of the districts.

The commission has proposed that to constitute the Village Body Government in the Mountainous Region, a population of 15 thousand is required and a population of 20 thousand for forming the Municipal Government. Likewise, in the Hilly Region, a population of 25 thousand is required for constituting the Village Body and 35 thousand for Municipality. In the Inner Tarai region (hilly area) a population of 25 thousand is required to form the Village Body and 35 thousand for Municipality. In the Inner Tarai region (plain area), a population of 50 thousand is required for constituting a Village body and 75 thousand for Municipality. As per the proposal, in the Tarai a population of 50 thousand is required to make a village body while 75 thousand for Municipality.

However, in the case of Sub-Metropolitan City and Metropolitan City, the Commission has proposed that there should be a population of 150 thousand and 300 thousand respectively in all regions.

According to the commission, the district headquarters of all the districts except those in the Mountainous region would be turned into municipalities and for this, the headquarters of the Hilly district should have a population of 45 thousand, of the Kathmandu Valley and the district headquarters of the Tarai and Inner Tarai 95 thousand each.

The commission stated that a district would have a minimum of three to a maximum of 13 local units.

The Commission has proposed equal number of people in each Ward of village unit and municipality as far as possible. As per the proposal, Rasuwa, Manang and Mustang will have three units of local bodies, while Bhaktapur and Dedeldhura and Mugu four each; Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Kaski, Myagdi, Bardiya, Humla, Kalikot and Jajarkot five each; Doti, Rukum, Arghakhanchi, Banke, Parbat, Lalipur and Dolpa six each; and Dolakha, Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Lamjung, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga, Udayapur, Kapilvastu, Rolpa, Pyuthan, Salyan, Jumla, Bajura, Achham, Darchula and Baitadi seven each.

The districts to have eight units of local bodies are Taplejung, Ilam, Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, Siraha, Chitwan, Parsa, Kathmandu, Gorkha, Syangja, Baglung, Palpa, Bajhang, Kanchanpur, Dailekh and Surkhet. Those to have nine units are Bara, Mahottari, Khotang, Gulmi, Nuwakot, Makwanpur and Tanahu while Jhapa, Dhanusha, Rautahat, Kailali and Dang will have ten units.

The districts to have 11 units of local bodies are Sunsari, Saptari, Sarlahi, Kavrepalanchowk, Dhading and Nawalparasi while the one to have 12 units is Sindhupalchowk and 13 are Morang and Rupandehi.

The Commission has informed that the number of local bodies were determined in a way the people would get services in a better way. The balance of needs was considered much on it. Both structural and institutional arrangements of the local bodies have been recommended by the Commission.

Spokesperson Dr Poudel informed at the press meet that more than 700 persons including the people’s representatives, political leaders, experts and stakeholders were consulted while carrying out its task.

The government had formed the Commission on March 14, 2016 in accordance with Article 295 (3) of the constitution. The Commission has been given a year to submit its final report. RSS