The Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC) has proposed to dramatically reduce the number of local bodies.

The commission is mulling over forming 565 local bodies, including townships and municipalities. This is a downsizing from the existing 3,374 village development committees and municipalities across the country.

According to the commission, the local bodies would be restructured primarily on the basis of population. It will also take into account topography, structure of the district coordination committee and the land area.

Currently there are 217 municipalities and 3,157 VDCs in the country. “Despite the changes we will ensure that local people do not need to travel any further to access government services,” said commission Chairperson Balananda Poduel during a press conference on Monday.

He added that the second phase of work will being on Monday. It would be undertaken by a technical committee headed by the Local Development Officer in each district.

In view of the three elections including the local polls that will have to be held within 18 months and the need for the commission’s report, Poudel said, the committee has got one month to complete its work.

These committees work on the ground. They will collect views of the local stakeholders on demarcation and restructuring of the local bodies in each district. It will consider the access and ease of the people, cohesiveness of the community, natural resources and physical infrastructure while delineating the local units.

The new entities would then be given names, boundaries of smaller wards demarcated, and their office locations recommended. The committees will then submit their final reports to the commission.

This is the first time since 1961 that the local bodies are being restructured in such a massive scale. The constitution distributes state power at three levels: federal, provincial and local.

A population size of 15,000 to 50,000 has been determined for the townships. For municipalities, the number of inhabitants ranges from 20,000 to 75,000. The topography has been divided into six types—mountain, mountain region with hills, hills, inner Madhes with hills, inner Madhes and Tarai.

The commission is mandated to determine the number, boundary and economic viability of the village council, municipalities and special, protected and autonomous regions within one year of its formation.

The commission was formed in February.