DANG, Feb 13: In order to facilitate the ward chiefs, Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City of Dang purchased 16 motorcycles without even finding out whether the intended recipients are in need of the motorcycles or not. It is planning to buy three more two-wheelers, as there are 19 wards in the local unit. Interestingly, this has been a boon for some while for many it has been nothing more than a showpiece.

Chitra Bahadur Dangi, chief of Ghorahi-10, and Bishnumani Paudel of Ghorahi-5 refused to ride the motorbikes provided by the local unit as they already own motorbikes.

"I told the sub-metropolis to give it to other ward chiefs as I already own one," said Dangi. Similarly, Ramesh Kumar Pandey, chief of ward no 15 had a motorbike of his own before the local elections. Hence, he also refused to use the motorcycle provided by the local unit.

With many representatives showing less interest in using the motorbikes provided by the government, questions have been raised whether the distribution of vehicles was meaningful or just a waste of government budget. Even though, there is no such provision of providing vehicles to the representatives in the federal law, the local government managed to do so from its internal budget.

Some representatives who have accepted the motorbikes lack riding skills. This has compelled them to arrange a separate person for driving them to different places. Chitra Bahadur Oli, chief of Tulsipur Sub-metropolis-11, decided not to decline the offer made by the sub-metropolis. As he cannot ride his own motorbike, he has been deploying the helper of the ward office for picking and dropping him.

"I don't know how to ride so the helper of the ward office has been assisting me," said Oli.

According to some representatives, as the helper is busy driving the motorbike for the ward chief, he has no time for doing his own job.

"We have no problem with him using or not using the motorbike. However, he should make sure that the work of the office should not be affected because of him," said one of the people's representatives seeking anonymity.

Ward chiefs on the other hand claim that they have been using the motorbike only for official purpose. Many elderly ward chiefs in the sub-metropolis have been mobilizing assistants to drive their motorbike.

While most of the local units have distributed the same kind of motorbikes to all the elected representatives, Tulsipur has given an option to its 19 ward chiefs to choose the model of their motorbikes. This has created a controversy of late as the representatives have started comparing their vehicles.

 
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