The government had decided to set up such centers five months ago in a bid to provide basic government services to the people in a hassle-free manner.
The plan aimed at established such centers at places where the people from remote places can easily avail themselves of the government services.
Officials said the process had to be stalled following protests in Bardibas of Mahottari district and some other parts of the country. Locals had protested the government decision saying that transferring government offices to other places would be unacceptable to them. Back then, the government had to withdraw its decision to set up such centers in Bardibas at Mahottari.
"Though there is a demand for such centers, the process has stalled due to lack of government priority for the idea," said Sharada Prasad Trital, spokesperson at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM).
"The government should revise Service Centers Directive-2065, if needed, and should bring clear provisions about the deployment of civil servants, allocation of budget, jurisdictions of such centers and mobilization of resources," Trital added.
The government also failed to allocate budget for such centers in the new budget for the new fiscal year. "No budget has been allocated under the heading of Service Centers in the Red Book of the current fiscal year´s budget and this shows that the government is no more serious about the idea," a source at the Ministry of Finance (MoFA) told myrepublica.com.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, which is to handle such centers, has neither asked for budget from the MoFA nor made any preparations to resume the process.
"We directed the District Administration Offices to forge consensus among political parties in districts and finalize the places for setting up such centers," said Jaya Mukunda Khanal, spokesperson at the Ministry of Home Affairs, adding, "We have yet to receive progress report from the chief district officers so the process has been delayed."
The idea to provide basic services to the people in hassle-free manner had been welcomed from various quarters of society.
The services to be provided by such centers include issuing citizenship certificates, passports, health services, food distribution, monitoring of schools, issuing route permit to vehicles and handling land survey, registration, purchase and sell among other things.
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