Govt extends taskforce deadline by 7 days

Published On: February 21, 2017 12:50 AM NPT By: Gyan P Neupane | @GyaNeupane

LLRC report revision
KATHMANDU, Feb 21: The government has extended the deadline of the taskforce formed to study the report prepared by the local level restructuring commission (LLRC) by seven days.

A cabinet meeting on Monday has agreed to extend the deadline of the taskforce formed under the leadership of Minister for Local Development Hitaraj Pandey.

The taskforce was formed on February 2 with a 15-day deadline for making revisions in the report prepared by LLRC about the numbers and boundaries of local units to be delineated under the federal setup. The taskforce had submitted a review report about a week ago to the cabinet and recommended increasing the number of local bodies on the basis of population.

Though the commission has fixed the numbers and boundaries of the local units across the country, its report has been strongly opposed by Madhes-based political parties mainly in the eight districts of Province-2. Also, some proposed units are under dispute in a few hill districts including Nuwakot, Khotang and Bajhang.

“The suggestion to increase the number of local bodies proposed by the taskforce has been warmly welcomed by the cabinet,” Surendra Karki, spokesperson and Minister for Information and Communications, told the reporters after the meeting. “We have decided to solicit further suggestions from stakeholders and experts for its implementation.”

He informed that the cabinet has also decided to work further to establish a Federal Commission to address the demands of agitating ethnic groups and communities.

The LLRC had submitted its report to the governemnt on January 6 recommending 719 village and municipal councils under the federal setup which will replace the existing 217 municipalities and 3,117 village development committees after the implementation.

The same meeting also decided to take ahead the constitution amendment bill tabled in parliament from Tuesday. According to Karki, the cabinet meeting decided to go ahead with the amendment bill as per the demands of Madhes-based parties.