Speaking at the meeting, that started Friday, a VDC secretary from Kalikot, Padam Bahadur Shahi, said, "We became government staff by passing the Public Service Commission exams. We don´t want political roles."
He said that VDC secretaries have been targeted by various groups mostly because they have to perform political roles as well. According to VDC Secretaries Rights Protection Center, which organized the regional meeting, eight secretaries were killed in midwestern region during 10-year insurgency. The center´s midwestern regional coordinator Chuda Bahadur Somai said, secretaries have been receiving threats either for not paying donations to various armed outfits or on the charge of working in favor of a particular political party.
He said that the special security package introduced by the government for VDC secretaries would not be effective if they are not relieved of the political roles.
According to the data provided by center, of the total 575 VDC secretary positions, some 127 are lying vacant for long in the midwestern region. In some districts, one secretary has been handling up to five VDCs due to manpower crunch.
Related story
56 secys, 662 joint-secys and 848 under-secys adjusted in three...
