BARA, July 22: Local representatives and provincial assembly members representing Kalaiya have been agitated in Bara over the government's decision to relocate the land revenue and survey office to the northern part from the district headquarters Simara.
Local unit representatives and provincial assembly members have submitted a memorandum to former prime ministers, ministers and opposition party leaders protesting against the cabinet decision to relocate the offices. According to the struggle committee, 15 heads of the total 16 local units in the district have opposed the decision of the federal government.
They have demanded that the two offices be either extended to their locality too, or not to extent the branch of the office only at Simara. Earlier, the government had to withdraw the decision to extend the offices at Simara following protest in Kalaiya.
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A cabinet meeting on June 3 had decided to establish branch of land revenue and survey office after the locals in the northern part of the district complained that Kalaiya was too far. The locals resorted to protest after the federal government wrote to the local authorities to start service delivery from Simara as well.
A struggle committee formed to retain Kalaiya as the district headquarters submitted a memorandum to former prime minister and chairman of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal in Kathmandu on Saturday. Representatives of the committee called on the former PM and main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Health Minister and Chairman of the Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN) Upendra Yadav, Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) coordinator Mahantha Thakur and the government ministers concerned.
Physical Infrastructure and Development Minister of Province 2 Jitendra Sonal who was among the delegation member said that they urged to correct the decision of the federal government as it is against the interest of the local people.
According to mayor of the Kalaiya metropolitan city they have demanded either to extend such office at each local units of the district or stop extending them to Simara. He said they urged the leaders not to invite conflict by going against the interest of the locals.
The struggle committee urged the leaders that any move to extend the service delivery offices to Simara would turn historic district headquarters into a ghost town. Some local unit chiefs have asked that why Nijgadh and Jitpur of the district were not selected instead of Simara to establish the branches of the two offices.
