The Local Level Restructuring Commission has begun consultations with the stakeholders to begin its work of determining the number and borders of local bodies in the federal set-up.

The commission held discussions with officials from the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development on May 6 and 7, Member Secretary Hari Poudel said. The LLRC has formed five groups for expediting its work.

The groups will work on Kathmandu Valley, Urban Development and Municipalities; Financial Federalism Strategy and Programme; Local Level Restructuring Concept, Policy and Strategy; Statistics and Information Evaluation and Documentation; and Local Level Organisational and Administrative Model.

The commission has also launched its website www.llrc.gov.np. LLRC will prepare a preliminary draft on the number and borders of local bodies by mid-August and hold district-level discussions on the draft by early September, after which alternative proposals will be studied and a final report prepared by mid-March, Poudel said, referring to the ToR of the commission.

As per the new constitution, the LLRC formed on March 14 has to restructure one metropolitan city, 12 sub-metropolitan cities, 204 municipalities and 3,157 VDCs in the country into Village Councils, Municipal Councils and Special, protected, or autonomous regions within one year.