VDC staff protest delays work on citizenship, voter list

RAJBIRAJ, June 1: Government teams mobilized in Saptari district to distribute citizenship certificates and update the voter list could not carry out their work for a second consecutive day on Friday due to a protest called by VDCs secretaries and staff at local bodies.



Following a government directive, the district administration office (DAO) had decided to carry out the voter registration process from Thursday in tandem with the distribution of citizenship cards. However, the teams have not been able to initiate their work due to agitation by officials of the local bodies, informed the DAO.[break]



“The process stalled after the VDC secretaries, who are responsible for recommending citizenship certificates and assisting the integrated mobile teams, took to protesting,” said Bal Bhadra Giri, assistant chief district officer.



Following the protest, the local administration, including the district development committee, came to a grinding halt 11 days back. VDC secretaries had organized phase-wise protests from May 21 for the next two days. And since May 23, they have taken to an indefinite sit-in.



Employees at the local bodies have been agitating to free the arrested VDC secretary of Pato VDC along with other three officials. They were arrested for allegedly recommending citizenship for an Indian national.



The arrested officials were freed on May 24, but the agitation will continue until the government revokes the punishment for VDC secretaries mentioned in the Citizenship Act - 2063, said Bhagwat Yadav, chief of the VDC Secetaries Rights and Welfare Protection Centre.

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