Local representatives urge federal government not to restrict justice delivery powers

Bajura: People’s representatives at the local level have expressed concerns that the federal government is restricting their authority despite constitutional provisions granting them various powers, including justice delivery.

Representatives from all nine local levels of Bajura, along with judicial committee coordinators from Achham, raised these concerns during the first district conference of the judicial committee held on Sunday. They stated that although the federal government has delegated powers to the local level, it has limited their effective implementation.

Mayor of Badimalika Municipality, Amar Bahadur Khadka, said that the federal government is curtailing rights guaranteed by the constitution and the Local Government Act. He noted that despite the autonomous status of local governments, they are not being allowed to function in accordance with the law. He further highlighted challenges in justice delivery due to the absence of legal officers in local judicial committees, adding that repeated demands for such appointments have not been addressed.

Ram Bahadur Bohara, Deputy Mayor of Budhinanda Municipality and Coordinator of the Judicial Committee, said the conference was organized to strengthen the effectiveness of judicial committees at the local level. He emphasized that the gathering serves as a platform to exchange best practices and experiences related to justice administration, address legal obstacles, review reconciliation processes following complaints, and promote fair justice.

Tulsiram Rokaya, Chief of the District Coordination Committee Bajura, stressed that judicial committees should ensure that victims receive prompt and fair justice at the local level. According to Bohara, the two-day conference will include discussions on the functioning, challenges, and solutions related to judicial committees, along with the presentation of various working papers.

The conference is being attended by judicial committee coordinators from all nine municipalities in Bajura, coordinators from seven municipalities in neighboring Achham district, and judicial mediators.