Far western province set to pass local service act this week

Dhangadhi: The process of enacting the Local Service Act in the Far Western Province has gained momentum, with the provincial government preparing to pass the legislation within this week.

The move comes after an agreement was reached with local level employees who had staged a strike, demanding the immediate enactment of the Local Service Act. The provincial assembly has resumed proceedings on the bill aimed at making provisions for the formation, operation, and service conditions of the Far Western Province Local Service.

The Legislation and Provincial Affairs Committee presented its report on the bill during the second meeting of the sixth session of the provincial assembly, which began on Sunday. The report was unanimously approved by the committee on Magh 15 after a detailed clause-by-clause discussion and subsequently registered with the provincial assembly secretariat. However, opposition obstruction had delayed its presentation in the assembly, according to committee chairman Diwan Singh Bista.

Bista stated that the report was presented in line with the agreement made with protesting local employees and would be discussed in the assembly meeting scheduled for Tuesday. The bill will officially become law upon passage and certification by the provincial chief.

Local level employees have stressed the importance of passing the act based on the committee’s detailed report. Chairman Bista assured that the report tabled in the assembly addresses all concerns raised by employees.

Originally registered in Falgun 2080, the bill was introduced in the provincial assembly last Jestha. Following initial discussions, it was forwarded to the concerned committee for clause-by-clause review, where it remained under consideration for nearly a year due to extensive debate.

The provincial government is enacting the Local Service Act to establish an organized staff system for service delivery at the local level and to ensure that local services are effective, efficient, robust, and citizen-focused.