More than 17,000 local body officials have halted services across the country from Sunday protesting against the proposed legal measure to appoint civil servants to the local level offices.

Services provided by the 3,157 Village Development Committees, 217 municipalities and 75 District Development Committees such as revenue collection, development works, release of funds, attestation of documents and vital registrations have been affected as a result.

Niran Shrestha, spokesperson for the National Struggle Committee of the local body employees, told the Post that they are protesting against the discriminatory provisions of the proposed Local Body Service Bill that “will lead to displacement of thousands of employees serving in local bodies by civil servants”.

“Among the 17,000 officials serving in local bodies, 9,000 are hired on contract and wage bases. Those permanent also fear being cornered by the civil servants,” he said.

The proposed law provisions integration of local body employees and civil servants in the local level units that are yet to be formed.

Five trade unions affiliated to major political parties have extended their support to the ongoing agitation. On Monday, the agitating staffers picketed the Ministry of Local Development in Singha Durbar and obstructed local development officers in 75 districts from working. Secretary at Local Development Mini-stry Kedar Bahadur Adhikari charged that senior employees were seeking guarantee of appointment as executive officers in the newly created municipalities. “We will take care of their grievances while finalising the bill,” he said.

According to reports from Dhankuta, Okhaldhunga and Dailekh, among other districts, people coming from remote areas to the district headquarters were denied urgent services.