KATHMANDU, July 19: The government is to manage employees necessary for operating the local levels through the respective district offices until the federal and state elections.

According to Secretary at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, the government is not sending employees from the centre to the local levels until the elections to the Federal Parliament and State Assemblies were held, and required human resources will be managed internally in this transitional phase.

A District Employee Management Committee has been formed under the coordination of the respective Chief District Officer to depute employees to the local-levels to perform 22 types of duties allocated by the constitution to the local body.

More tasks allocated to the local-level by the constitution demands more employees there and around 75,000 employees are necessary for running the local levels. There are presently around 17,000 employees at the local level.

Joint-Spokesperson of the Ministry, Indra Kumari Thapaliya, said that Chief District Officers have been given responsibility to assign employees for meeting the shortfall at local-level of concerned districts.

She said, “The Committee will assign employees of those offices which have the responsibility of carrying out the 22 different types of works that the local levels have been assigned as per the constitution to these offices alone

Thapaliya also said that they have also asked to operate the activities of local-level by hiring employees from other offices.

She further said that the local-level would itself appoint the employees after formulation of provincial law after three-tier of elections. The ministry has also sent executive officers on deputation due to transition period.

The government had decided to assign under-secretary at Metropolitan Cities, joint-secretary at municipalities and section officer at rural municipalities. RSS

BHAKTAPUR, July 14: CPN-UML chair and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has accused the government of exercising to deduct the power of local levels. He added such plan would not be acceptable for his party.

While inaugurating the first municipal meeting of Surya Binayak Municipality in Bhaktapur on Friday, chair Oli argued that the government’s ‘motif’ of slashing the power of local levels was wrong as it was constitutionally given to these bodies.

Former Prime Minister further shared that government was planning to formulate the laws aimed at slashing the power of local levels which was against the spirit of the constitution. The constitution has fixed the jurisdiction and power of all three levels: federal, provincial and local therefore, such constitutional provision ensured to local levels could not be changed in any interest.

In another context, chair Oli urged all political parties to work together for the prosperity of the nation.

Speaking in the same program, lawmaker Rameshwar Dhungel, former Minister Mahesh Basnet and UML central member Sanu Shrestha among other leaders also had opined for making the local level stronger.

Mayor Basudev Thapa unveiled the budget of over Rs 49 million for the upcoming fiscal year in the first meeting. RSS