The Election Commission has planned updating the voter list in 54 districts of the Tarai and the Hills beginning in the first week of December as the task initiated two weeks ago in 21 Mountain districts is going on.

With the government targeting to hold the local elections in the upcoming spring season, the EC initiated the update. The last time the EC updated the list was in 2013 before the second Constituent Assembly elections.

Gopinath Mainali, the EC secretary, said the work was undertaken in phases, utilising the limited financial and human resources available. The commission on Tuesday received around Rs50 million from the Finance Ministry for expanding the work to other districts.

The EC had sought Rs70 million from the ministry, which is “ready” to provide additional resources if the released sum is inadequate.

The commission is enlisting citizens who attain 18 years of age by mid-October. More eligible voters would be accommodated before publishing the final list. However, the election body is concerned over possible security threats in the plains while doing its work. The Madhes-based parties want the provincial boundaries redrawn before going to three levels of election by the end of next year.

“We have held discussion with all the parties in Parliament and even those outside,” said Mainali, adding that all the forces had promised cooperation for preparing the list. The EC has also consulted with the home secretary and chiefs of the security agencies for security of the EC staffers.

The election body needs 120 days after necessary laws are enacted and the report of the Local Level Restructuring Commission is taken in to conduct the local polls.

Of the five laws required to hold the local polls, the government has registered the Bill to Amend and Integrate Laws Related to the Election Commission, Bill Related to Voters’ List, and Bill to Amend and Integrate Laws Related to Political Parties in Parliament. The drafts are being discussed at the State Affairs Committee of Parliament. The Bill on Local Election, and Election Fraud and Punishment Bill are yet to be registered in Parliament.