They are demanding donations ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 from each VDC, according to Bhuwani Prasad Ghimire, the president of VDC Secretaries Welfare Protection Center. "We have received reports that the Maoist cadres have begun demanding donations of up to Rs 25,000 from each VDC secretary in the districts," he told myrepublica.com. [break]
Ghimire said VDC secretaries who were working in their respective VDCs in the hill districts have begun to descend to the district headquarters. "VDC secretaries do not have authority give donations from the development funds," he said. "And they cannot afford to pay donations from their pocket."
The VDC secretaries in eastern Tarai districts began working in their district headquarters after mushrooming armed outfits in the region increasingly targeted VDC secretaries for donations. There was no situation for VDC secretaries in eastern hill districts as well to work from their respective VDCs after the Limbuwan and Kirant Janawadi Workers´ Party cadres began demanding hefty amounts in donations.
Yadav, a senior leader of the then CPN (Maoist) [present day UCPN (Maoist)] began reorganizing the party expressing dissatisfaction over the party leaders´ decision to rename the party as Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) following the unification with CPN (Unity Center Masal).
The demand for donations from various outfits in the villages has triggered an exodus of secretaries to district headquarters concerned. "It is likely that the budget allocated for VDCs will freeze as VDCs council meetings have failed to take place in most of the places," added Ghimire.
There are a total 3,915 VDCs across the country. Of the total, some 1,200 VDCs are without secretaries.
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