National
Understaffed local unit in Achham conducts classes to prep locals for employment
Ramaroshan Rural Municipality, in Achham district, is currently conducting classes to prepare those wanting to take the Public Service Commission (PSC) examination.Menuka Dhungana
Ramaroshan Rural Municipality, in Achham district, is currently conducting classes to prepare those wanting to take the Public Service Commission (PSC) examination.
The local unit is carrying out the classes in the hope to produce government employees and to give a chance to local people, especially marginalised people, to work government jobs. The arranged PSC preparation classes are being given to a disabled man, two Dalit men, one Janajati woman and six other women.
The local body sent them to Mangalsen, the district headquarters of Achham, to attend the preparation classes, which will run for 35 days, said instructor Chhatra Majhi.
Saraswati Rawal, the deputy chief of the local unit, said, “It is estimated that a total of Rs 486,000 is required to manage food, accommodation, transportation, stationery and instructors for the 10 people taking the prep classes. We have decided to use the money to produce civil servants rather than spend it on organising meetings and seminars.”
According to her, the rural municipality, through its local representatives, selected the 10 people since they have the required qualification and expressed their desire for the preparation classes.
Administrative work and development activities in Ramaroshan have been affected owing to a shortage of employees. It is because of this that the local body took the decision to conduct the classes. The local unit hopes that by conducting these classes, it will be able to produce employees who will willingly work in their own areas. Currently, two ward secretaries have been working for seven different wards of the unit due to a shortage of employees.
“The rural municipality is unable to executive its work effectively even after having elected representatives due to a lack of employees. Since the shortage was crippling the local unit, we asked the concerned ministry to deploy employees here. The officials at the ministry said that outstation employees wouldn’t be willing to work outside their native districts, and to employ people closer to home,” said Rawak. “In this process, we realised that there weren’t any government employee from Ramaroshan. That was when we decided to manage the PSC preparation classes.”
The PSC preparation classes have been running in Mangalsain in coordination with the Ramaroshan Education Institute for the past one week. Rewanta BK, who is taking the preparation classes, expressed his gratitude towards the rural municipality stating that it’s efforts has helped him work towards his dream of being appointed as a government employee.
BK said, “We could not go to Dhangadhi, Nepalgunj or Kathmandu for the preparation classes due to financial constraints, but with these classes being conducted here, I can pass the PSC exam and serve in my own local unit.”
Nine other people who are taking the preparation classes are also happy with the opportunity provided by the local body. “I have been working hard to pass the exam,” said Hansa Kala Neupane. She said, “At a time and in a place where girls’ education is still not a priority, it comes as a relief that women of this remote rural municipality are being given the opportunity to pursue a career.”