ROLPA, May 22: It has been a year since the formation of the local governments but still the local units have been managing their offices in rented rooms and buildings. The enthusiasm and excitement that the representatives had in the beginning has evaporated of late. They are not happy with the fact that they have been performing their duties and offering services from rented buildings.
There is one municipality and nine rural municipalities in the district. Sadly, seven rural municipalities are operating from rented buildings. Staff management, construction of infrastructures, internet service, and staff management has become challenging for the local units due to the unavailability of own buildings.
The system changed, but the plight of Badi community did not
However, the offices of Rolpa Municipality and other two rural municipalities have been set up in the old buildings of then VDCs. While some local units have started constructing their own buildings, others are still in confusion. "We are compelled to arrange various departments in single rooms. Even the workstations of the chairperson and vice-chairperson have been set up in the same room," said Durga Bahadur Khadka, chairperson of Lungri Rural Municipality, adding," There is no access to banking facility, Nor is there email and internet service."
Every month, Lungri Rural Municipality has to pay Rs 25,000 as rent. Similarly, Thabang Rural Municipality pays Rs 22,000 as the monthly rent. Bir Bahadur Gharti, chairperson of Thabang said that providing services and managing technical and other things have been challenging in rented buildings. "Providing the facilities of Singfha Durabar from rural parts is not as easy as we had thought," said Chairperson Gharti.
The building of Sunchahari Rural Municipality too was found with much difficulty. Ash Bahadur Pun, chairperson of Sunchahari Rural Municipality recalls how difficult it had been to find a rented building for the office in the beginning. According to him, the rural municipality pays Rs 40,000 per month for the rented building.
Furthermore, the office of Runtigadhi Rural Municipality is operating from the building of Agriculture Service Center. According to Balaram Budhamagar, chairperson of Runtigadhi, the building is dilapidated and not suitable for operating the office for the long run. Tribeni Rural Municipality which is currently providing its services from the building of the thenVDC is constructing a ten-room building.
