Three major parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre)—on Sunday agreed in principle to finalise the number of local bodies on the basis of the existing Ilakas (areas).

Currently there are 927 areas across the country. Each Ilaka has four to five Village Development Committees. In an earlier meeting, NC leaders had suggested that the areas under the existing District Development Committees could be considered as local units. But UML leaders had first dismissed the proposal as a “regressive” move.

The Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC) is working on the local bodies after announcing to form 565 of them across the country. However, there had been a disagreement among the parties on the number. The LLRC claims that increasing the number of local bodies will not be feasible.

With the agreement, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the government would expedite works to amend the existing terms of reference of the LLRC. At the meeting held in Baluwatar, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba supported the PM’s proposal to decide the number of local bodies on the basis of the Ilakas. UML leaders also accepted the idea subsequently. The parties had been making efforts to settle for a number between

565 and 1,000.

After UML leaders finally accepted the proposal, the three-party agreement was possible. Leaders of the main opposition party had discussed the plan earlier in Baluwatar separately. The UML had maintained that it had no objections if the ruling NC backed the PM’s proposal. UML Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam told the leaders that his party would side with the two major parties even as it preferred the number proposed by the LLRC. “Senior UML leaders Jhala Nath Khanal and Madhav Nepal also agreed to the proposal,” said NC leader Purna Bahadur Khadka.

PM’s chief political adviser Chakrapani Khanal said the government would direct the LLRC to finalise the number and demarcation of the local bodies as agreed.

Lawmakers against boundary revision

KATHMANDU: As the government prepares to address the concerns of the Madhesi parties over the federal boundaries by registering a constitution amendment proposal, some influential leaders of the ruling parties have stood against revising the demarcation.

Several lawmakers speaking in Parliament on Sunday said they were against realignment of the districts currently in Province 5 in particular. The opposition comes at a time when the government is preparing to table amendments for state re-delineation by merging the Hill districts with other provinces. To ensure a Tharu cluster, plans are afoot to have a province in western plains consisting only of the Tarai districts.

Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, deputy Parliamentary Party leader of the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre), said he was strongly against any changes in the provinces’ area. He warned that there would be protests in response to any changes.

“There is no need for changes,” he said. Province 5 has 11 districts including Hill districts and half of Nawalparasi. In order to address the demands of the agitating Madhesi and Janajati forces, the government is preparing to take the six Hill districts and merge them with Province 4 and Province 6. Rayamajhi’s constituency in Arghakhanchi would be out of Province 5 to be merged with Province 4 if the proposal materialises.

Baijanath Chaudhary of the main opposition CPN-UML also warned of stern protests if any changes were made to the boundaries. Claiming that there is a perfect balance of the Tarai and the Hills in the present arrangement, he said it was unjustifiable to change it.

The UML has been questioning the motive of another amendment to the constitution adopted last year. “Taking Hill districts out is unacceptable. This is time to work on constitution implementation, not constitution amendment,” said Chaudhary.

The Madhesi parties have been demanding only two provinces in the plains and are against having Hill districts in them. (PR)