KATHMANDU, Sept 25: Leaders from the three major political parties have reached an understanding to fix the number of village councils and municipalities taking the previous area units [ilaka] as the basis for delineating the local units in the federal system.

Leaders from the Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) at a meeting held at the prime minister's official residence at Baluwatar on Sunday evening reached an understanding to this effect.

“At today's meeting we reached an understanding in principle to delineate village councils and municipalities taking the previous ilakas as the basis,” NC leader Purna Bahadur Khadka told Republica.

There were over 900 ilaka units in the 75 districts, and around 4,000 VDCs and municipalities.

Earlier, the commission formed to fix the number and boundaries of local units had proposed 565 village units. NC and the Maoist Center said the number was low and demanded an increase while the UML was against increasing the number.  UML was for giving the mandate to the commission to finalize the number based on its own study.

 
• nc
 
• cpn-uml
 
• cpn maoist center
 
• village councils and municipalities