SURKHET, Jan 9:  The municipal council meeting of Thulibheri Municipality of Dolpa district, in July 2017, had decided to shift its headquarters. 

According to the decision, Jufal was declared the new headquarters and the federal government published a notice informing about the same in the gazette on February 28, 2018.

However, Deputy Mayor Yogendra Bahadur Shahi along with seven ward chairpersons filed a writ petition against the decision at the Supreme Court on March 19 last year. The defendants have been visiting the court since the past 10 months for the same.

Along with Deputy Mayor Shahi, the chairs of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10 and 11 wards have accused Mayor Ganesh Bahadur Shahi of shifting the headquarters by forging document of council meeting. 

This conflict has severely affected the relationship between mayor, deputy mayor and many elected local representatives. While the mayor is carrying out his responsibilities from Jufal, deputy mayor works in Dunai, the previous headquarters.

Development works have been severely hampered. Due to the conflict, the development budget has not been approved as both the parties stand firm on their demands. 

Tribeni Rural Municipality of Rukkum (West) is going through a similar conflict. The third council meeting of the rural municipality had decided to shift its headquarters to the erstwhile Muru Village Development Committee. 

However, the elected representatives have made a move against the decision. The debate regarding the location of permanent headquarters of the rural municipality has reached the Supreme Court.                      

Such conflicts have directly hindered development works. The elected representatives have been criticized for being involved in such meaningless debates while ignoring the real issues faced by their voters.

 
• municipal_council_meeting_Thulibheri_Municipality_Dolpa_shift_headquarters