Budhiganga Municipality in Bajura has laid off a large number of contract and salaried employees. One hundred and twenty employees have been laid off by the municipality's decision.

The decision of the municipal executive has been taken to not extend the tenure of contract and salaried employees, effective from Kartik 1. The health sector has been affected the most by this decision. Seven health institutions, including a birthing center, operating in various wards of the municipality, have been closed due to the dismissal of 46 employees in the health sector.

In the health sector, which has been most affected, 46 employees, including one medical officer, three fifth-level employees, 22 fourth-level employees, and 20 office assistants, have been dismissed. Six employees, including one fifth-level employee, four fourth-level employees, and one ECD employee, have been dismissed from education. The municipality has decided to dismiss 10 fourth-level employees from agriculture, 10 from veterinary, seven from engineering, two from women and children, 34 from administration, and five psychosocial workers, said municipal spokesperson Hemraj Jaishi.

According to the health department of the municipality, seven basic health centers in Amkot, Musi, Tapra, Delta, Bamka, Motabada, and Selapakha and the Juwapani Community Health Center have been closed. At least one AHE, one ANMI and one office assistant were working in the closed health institutions.

Selapakha Community Health Center is a health institution in a remote area of ​​Budhiganga Municipality, where a birthing center was also in operation.

Similarly, in Budhiganga Municipality, which has three health posts, a medical officer, two laboratory assistants, one radiographer assistant, one ANMI, one eye assistant, one Ayurveda assistant and two office assistants working at Tante Health Post are on the list of those to be removed. There was only one medical officer in this municipality. Now it is a doctor-less municipality.

Similarly, the service has been closed after the laboratory assistants were also removed from Bramhratola and Devalsain health posts.

‘There were an average of 30 patients daily and five maternity cases per month,’ said Devika Singh, an assistant at the Selapakha Community Health Center, which also has a birthing center. ‘After the closure of this institution, which was established in 2072 BS, the residents of this area will now be forced to reach Bayalpata in Achham.’

Dr. Kiran Thapa, who works on a contract basis at the Tante Health Post, said, ‘An average of 45 patients used to come to this health post daily. The municipality’s latest decision has required the service to be operated by the same five permanent health workers,’ he said. ‘Lab and X-ray services have also been closed. The health service in this area has returned to the same level as it was before 2072 BS.’

According to the municipality, there are only 15 permanent employees in three health posts. The employees have said that the ward offices have also become staffless. In ward number 7, there were a secretary, a psychosocial worker, an agricultural technician, an animal technician, an administrative assistant and two office assistants. Now, all except the secretary have been removed.

Similarly, ward chair Khadak Bahadur Adhikari of ward number 3 said that four people have been removed except for one ward secretary and one office assistant.

Why did the municipality remove contract employees

Budhiganga Municipality has mentioned four reasons for suddenly deciding to remove a large number of contract employees in the last month of the first quarter of the fiscal year. According to Mayor Ram Bahadur Baniya,

The decision to not extend the tenure of contract employees was made due to the circular issued recently by the Ministry of Finance of the interim government stating that employees other than those on posts cannot be retained, the provisions of the Act on the Formation and Operation of Local Services 2081 enacted by the Sudurpaschim Province Assembly, the irregularities pointed out by the Auditor General's report, and complaints and questions at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority.

‘Even though other sectors are running their operations with permanent employees, the health sector is in a state of collapse,’ said Baniya, ‘We will immediately try to resolve the problem by resorting to legal alternatives.’

What are the provisions of the Far West Act?

The Act-2081, which was made by the Far West Provincial Assembly to make provisions regarding the formation, operation and conditions of service of local services, has changed the provisions for the recruitment of contract service employees. Section 15 of the Act stipulates that no person can be recruited on a contract or wage basis. If an appointment is made, it is said that recovery will have to be made from the appointing authority.

However, it is mentioned that in cases where there are vacancies in the posts of health, computer, engineering, microphone operator, cameraman, plumber, electrician, office assistant, light vehicle driver and sweeper, contract appointments can be made in accordance with the prevailing law with the mandatory consent of the provincial ministry.

ONM Thanti, relying on contract

The constitution has given the provincial government the right to make laws regarding the local government employee system. The Far Western Province has only introduced the Local Service Formation and Operation Act 2081.

Before that, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration had determined the vacancies according to the Local Government Operation Act 2074. According to the said vacancy structure, 48 vacancies were created in Budhiganga Municipality, but the vacancies were not filled.

According to the municipality's information technology officer, Khadak Bahadur Bam, the posts of engineer, accounting officer, administration officer and agriculture officer are vacant. Since the vacancies were not filled, the local government had been hiring contract service employees based on the need.