After the agitating teachers handed over the keys of the school to the Chief District Officer for non-payment of salaries, education has been halted in Bahudarmai Community School in Parsa for nine days.
The teachers of 20 public schools under Bahudarmai municipality have closed the school since last January 6 and handed over the truth to Pragya Ganesh Aryal saying that they have not received their salary for seven months.
Even after the ninth day of closing the school, the problem has not been resolved. A group of students ransacked and set fire to the office of Bahudarmai Municipality on December 5, claiming that the educational activities of the school were deteriorating due to teachers not receiving regular salaries. According to the police, there was a loss worth around one crore rupees due to vandalism and arson.
Since July of the current fiscal year, teachers, employees and health workers have not received their salaries. Although the policy, program and budget were presented in the municipal assembly, the budget was not released because the city chief Singhasan Shah Teli did not certify it. The budget of Bahudarmai Municipality was presented on October 8.
According to Tirtharaj Yadav, President of Nepal Teachers' Federation Parsa, he was forced to hand over the keys to the school after repeated requests were not heard. "Despite the ninth day of closure of the school, the concerned parties have not moved towards solving the problem," he said, "The situation is getting worse." The budget could not be disbursed because the mayor Sah did not give the authority to spend the budget to the chief administrative officer.
According to the Local Government Operation Act, the revenue and expenditure estimates for the next financial year must be submitted to the Municipal Assembly by June 10. However, Bahudarmai's budget for 2081/82 was presented in the 11th Municipal Assembly on October 8, almost four months after the scheduled time. However, even after nearly three months have passed since the completion of the Municipal Assembly, the Mayor has not authorized the expenditure of the budget.
According to the Local Government Operation Act, within 7 days after the budget is approved by the Municipal Council, the head of the local level must grant the authority to spend the budget to the administrative officer.
According to Deputy Chief Sushma Kushwaha, Mayor Sah said that he was not interested in addressing other problems including school management. "The school has been closed for 9 days in the face of SEE, the mayor has no interest in how to reopen it," she said, "The future of students is being played with in political intrigues."
Mayor Sah has been saying that the budget presented in the Municipal Assembly has not given the authority to spend the money to the Chief Administrative Officer saying that the municipality will not develop. According to municipal sources, the mayor has said that the chief administrative officer, Shere Mustafa, will not be approved until another chief is appointed.
Mayor Sah said that the problem will be solved within a few days. "The problem will be solved in the next 2/4 days," he said, "the problem will be solved after the arrival of the new boss."
The current chief administrative officer Mustafa has not gone to the municipal office since December 11. He has appeared in the district coordination committee. According to Mustafa, in a meeting involving the chief district officer, city chief, deputy chief, and head of the district coordination committee, it was agreed that the city chief would verify the budget and that the current administrative officer would not go to the municipality. After the meeting, Mustafa said that he was working in the district coordination committee without going to the municipality.
