Miscellaneous
Govt set to revive all-party mechanism
The government has been making preparation to revive the all-party mechanisms in order to monitor the relief distribution and rehabilitation works in the earthquake affected areasEkantipur Report
Based on the Cabinet decision, Chief Secretary Lila Mani Poudel has directed the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development to issue circular to form mechanisms.
“We have received the directive for the formation of monitoring committees in the districts and local levels,” said a source at the Ministry. “It seems like an attempt to revive the mechanisms that was scrapped following the directive from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) four years back.” The letter mentions about forming mechanisms in districts and local levels.
According to sources at Local Development Ministry, the central mechanism headed by Prime Minister will include chiefs of all the political parties represented in the Parliament as it members.
Likewise, the chief district officer will head the district level mechanism and include district chiefs of all the parliamentary parties as members, while the executive officer of municipality and VDC secretary will be heading the local level committees with party representatives as the members.
VDC Federation member Nawaraj Gelal said such mechanisms that courted controversy in the past will not be effective. “If there is any irregularity and weakness in relief distribution, it seems the involvement of local political leaders somewhere,” said Gelal. “We can’t expect monitoring and investigation from those who are dragged into controversy.”
He said immediate election of local bodies would be an alternative solution. According to the letter issued by the chief secretary, the Ministry has issued circulars to District Development Committees, Metropolitan and Sub-Metropolitan Cities, among other local level authorities, on Monday.