KATHMANDU, Feb 14: Agitating Madhes-based parties have boycotted the meeting with a government taskforce formed to recommend suggestions to address the demand for revisions in the local units delineations mainly in Province 2.
The taskforce headed by Local Development Minister Hit Raj Pandey has been holding consultations with the lawmakers from various districts of Province 2. The taskforce held consultations with the lawmakers from Siraha, Dhanusha and Mahottari districts on Monday.
General Secretary of Rastriya Madhes Samajvadi Party Keshav Jha said the lawmakers representing constitutent parties of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) decided to boycott the consultation meeting with the taskforce concluding that it will not be able to meet their demands. “The taskforce held discussion with lawmakers from the districts in Province 2. Since most of the lawmakers hail from the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Center), we concluded that such consultation cannot fulfill our demands,” said Jha.
The agitating Madhes-based parties have demanded that the local units in Province 2 be increased by considering the population of the province. “The the lawmakers from the major parties representing the province never raised the issue. We do not think that holding consultations with them will resolve our demands,” Jha further said.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had formed the taskforce to suggest revisions in the report on the local units submitted by the Balananda Paudel-led local level restructuring commission. The taskforce comprising three cabinet ministers has been given till February 19 to submit its report.
With the Madhes-based parties refusing to work with the taskforce and the main opposition CPN-UML opposing any revision of the commission's report, the government's plan to announce local election might be affected.