Due to the dispute between Kathmandu Metropolitan Chief Balendra Shah, Deputy Chief Sunita Dangol and Chief Administrative Officer Saroj Guragai, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City could not announce the policy program and budget for the next financial year, which has not even held an executive meeting since last December.
According to the city sources, the city chief Shah is not in favor of calling a meeting on the involvement of the chief administrative officer, Gurgai. He is pressuring Guragai to stay on leave. The Local Government Operation Act 2074 has given the responsibility of calling the municipality meeting to the mayor.
There has been a dispute between Mayor Shah and Gurgai regarding the approval of the map for the construction of the 'Kathmandu Tower' building at the old bus park. Naveen Manandhar, the spokesperson of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, alleged that the city chief Shah could not bring the budget because he did not call the executive meeting.
The Abuse of Authority Investigation Commission is investigating the issue of Kathmandu Tower map approval. A three-member committee was formed under the chairmanship of former secretary Shankar Prasad Pandey to investigate Guragai in December 2081, but the report has not been submitted so far. After the
committee failed to prepare a report, Chief Shah took the opinion of the Metropolitan Public Works Department, Urban Management Department, Law and Human Rights Department and submitted it to the Federal Ministry on February 19.
On March 20, Deputy Chief Dangol and some Ward Presidents forced Guragai into the office. In the discussion held between the Chief and Deputy Chief on May 28, Metropolitan Spokesman Manandhar, Chairman of Ward 32 Navraj Parajuli, Chairman of Ward 15 Ishwarman Dangol also participated in the discussion between the clashes.
Even the said discussion could not decide to hold executive meeting. Spokesman Manandhar said that he was not aware of the reason why the investigation report of Kathmandu Tower was not ready yet. The metropolis has not started the budget making process.
In Dharan sub-metropolitan city, the budget could not be submitted in the Municipal Assembly due to the chief-deputy chief dispute. The municipal assembly has become uncertain after the executive meeting called on Sunday to decide the date of the municipal assembly was adjourned without starting. The chief administrative officer was also absent from Sunday's executive meeting. Chief Hark Sampang adjourned the meeting after 28 members of the municipal council, including deputy chief Aindravikram Begha, submitted a letter stating that it was not appropriate to hold the executive meeting without legal procedures and necessary preparations.
The Revenue Consultative Committee had submitted a report on May 31 that the budget should be 1.6 billion 1.5 million 48 thousand. Without any discussion from the chief, the executive meeting was immediately notified. We adjourned the meeting because we did not agree to the law and order," said Deputy Chief Begha.
The Resource Estimation and Delimitation Committee is chaired by the Mayor. But the meeting was not held under his leadership. After the meeting of the resource estimation and boundary determination committee, the executive meeting should be held only after discussion in the budget and program formulation committee," says Deputy Chief Begha.
