Demanding information disclosure, Gen-Z Group has enforced a lockout at the office of Surmaya Rural Municipality in Baitadi for the past three weeks, which is yet to be lifted. According to the group’s leader, Bishal Bhatt, the lockout was imposed on October 10 with an 11-point list of demands. He said, “We have put forward these demands for the welfare of the rural municipality and to ensure good governance. The request for information must be implemented immediately. Otherwise, we are not in favor of opening the lockout.”
The Group has demanded the public disclosure of details regarding plans, projects, thematic programs, and expenditures that have been allocated from the federal, provincial, and local levels since 2017 and implemented within the rural municipality. They have also demanded separate reports of all recurrent and capital expenditures of the rural municipality for fiscal year 2024/25, along with the details of house rent, vehicle rental costs, travel allowances, fuel expenses, and maintenance costs claimed by people’s representatives and staff. They are also seeking copies of the municipal executive’s decisions.
Additionally, they have demanded the removal of non-permanent contracted employees in accordance with the Sudurpaschim Province Local Service Formation and Operation Act and the decision of the Federal Council of Ministers, as well as immediate implementation of circulars and directives issued by higher government bodies.
They insist that amounts identified in the Auditor General’s report as recoverable must be collected and made public immediately. They have also called for urgent implementation of projects in essential sectors such as education, health, communication, electricity, transportation, disaster response, and drinking water. Furthermore, they demanded regulation and deduction of the allocated miscellaneous expenses of 1.35 million rupees at the ward level, and budget allocation for youth programs with the immediate formation of a Local Youth Council within the rural municipality.
Despite multiple rounds of dialogue and negotiations during the three-week-long lockout, no conclusion has been reached yet, according to rural municipality chairperson Ammar Kunwar. He said discussions to lift the lockout are ongoing, with some demands still unresolved. “We are continuously in talks. Some points are yet to be agreed upon. Especially the matter of removing contracted staff has not reached a consensus,” he stated.
Chairperson Kunwar mentioned that there is disagreement from the rural municipality’s side regarding the demand to dismiss all contract employees. “If we remove the contract employees, sectors such as education, health, and administration will come to a complete halt. Around 170 contract employees would be out of work at once. Schools and health institutions would be forced to shut down. Therefore, we have requested the Group to reconsider this issue,” he said.
He also stated that the rural municipality has set a precondition that the lockout must be lifted first. “With the office under lockout, how are we supposed to provide information? The lockout must be opened first, and then the process of providing information can proceed,” he added.
National News Agency