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The High Court in Biratnagar has ordered that the ward chairpersons should not implement the acting responsibilities assigned by Mayor Harkaraj Rai of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City. The order issued by Justice Dhruvaraj Nanda of the High Court in Biratnagar on October 20, 2024, instructs that the acting responsibilities assigned by Mayor Harkaraj Rai should not be implemented. After Harkaraj Rai, as the Deputy Mayor, assigned acting mayor responsibilities to his relative Lokendra Phago, the Ward Chairperson of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City-11, Deputy Mayor Aindra Bikram Begha filed a writ petition in the High Court in Biratnagar on October 9, 2024. In response to the writ, the bench of Justice Dhruvaraj Nand has ordered the parties to appear for discussion on October 22.

The court’s order states that ‘According to Provision 12 of Subarticle 4(a) under Article 16 of the Local Government Operation Act, 2017, and the provisions related to duties, responsibilities, and authority in Schedule 4 of the Dharan Municipal Executive Work Division Regulations, 2017, as well as from the perspective of balancing facilities, an interim order has been issued under Rule 42 of the High Court Rules, 2016. The order instructs the respondents to maintain the status quo without implementing the letter numbered 2328 dated October 9, issued by the office of the Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City Executive, until the date of discussion regarding the interim order.

Mayor Harkaraj Rai of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City assigned acting mayor responsibilities to Lokendra Phago, the ward chairperson of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City-11, who is his uncle-in-law, on October 9, even while the Deputy Mayor was present in the office. Rai then left for the United Kingdom on October 14.

Binod Subedi