KATHMANDU, Sept 29: Commissioners at the Local Level Restructuring Commission expressed strong dissatisfaction over government move of asking it to take previous area units (ilakas) as the main basis for restructuring.

The commission held a discussion on Thursday over the new terms of references (ToR) provided by the government. According to Commissioner Shyam Krishna Bhurtel, they discussed whether the government's move overstepped on the commission's independence.

"Some commission members were of the view that the government should be made to clarify on what basis it provided the new ToR to the commission. We want to be clear on how the government decided to fix the number of local bodies to a certain number," said Bhurtel. 

Meanwhile, Commissioner Sunil Ranjan Singh said that the government decision would be unacceptable to the commission. Expressing dissatisfaction over the government decision, Singh has submitted a letter to the commission's Chairman Balananda Paudel urging that the commission should formally reject the government's decision.

Singh has even gone on to file a writ petition at the Supreme Court on Monday. The petition is currently being reviewed by the court administration.

Singh has claimed that the government decision to give new a ToR has encroached upon the independence of the commission, breaching the constitutional provisions regarding the commission.

Following a political understanding between the three major parties, the government on Tuesday had decided to give a new ToR to the commission, asking to make the previous area units as the main basis of restructuring the local units under the new federal system. 

As per the criteria, there will be around 900 local units as against 565 local units proposed by the commission. 

 
• commissioners
 
• local level restructuring commission