KHOTANG, April 6: All wards of Jantedhunga Rural Municipality of Khotang are struggling in the absence of ward secretaries who have been transferred to other local units.
There are altogether six wards in the rural municipality but none of them has a ward secretary. Recently, Shambhu Acharya, who was entrusted with the responsibility of ward secretary of Jantedhunga-6, Diplung, was transferred to Solukhumbu after which the whole rural municipality has been without a ward secretary, according to the chairperson of the rural municipality, Shankar Rai.
It has been a long time since Meghraj Ghimire, ward secretary of Kahule was transferred to Solukhumbu, Dundiraj Dulal, ward-secretary of Chisapani, Devisthan and Bopung was transferred to Kathmandu and Laxmi Phuyal, ward secretary of Dambarkhushivalaya was transferred to Sunsari. But still, the rural municipality is not able to manage their replacements.
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In the absence of ward secretaries, technical staffers have been entrusted with their responsibilities. As informed by Chairperson Rai, Bidur Acharya who was assigned as the ward secretary of Diplung and Kahule left the workstation without informing the rural municipality. "We can't stop the day-to-day work of the rural municipality due to the absence of ward secretaries. So, we had to assign technicians in their place," said Rai.
Similarly, three of the six wards of Barahapokhari Rural Municipality are operating without ward secretaries, according to Shalikram Banjara, chairperson of the rural municipality. Likewise, two of the seven wards of Diprung Rural Municipality are running without ward secretaries. Recently, ward secretary of Sachitapokhari was transferred to Ministry of Supplies, according to Bhupendra Rai, chairperson of Diprung.
The rural municipality is yet to pay his five months' salary. "We have received letters from the Ministry of Supplies requesting for his salary but we have told them to pay his salary from the Ministry itself as he has been working there," said Chairperson Rai.
