Valley chokes with garbage on streets

28, Thusday January 2010

Kathmandu: Garbage collection from the streets of the Kathmandu Valley has remained suspended due to the agitation of local bodies’ employees across the nation. The employees announced the protest stating that the government did not heed their demands and failed to implement agreements reached with them earlier.



They have demanded amendment to the Local Autonomous Governance Regulations 2066 B.S., permanent status for staffers, promotion policy on a par with civil servants and trade union rights, among others. They have halted all services except state-run ambulance and fire brigade services. Earlier, the government had formed a ten-member panel headed by Local Development Secretary Krishna Gyawali to address employees’ demands. However, their demands have not been fulfilled yet.


Prem Bahadur Singh, Minister for Law and Justice, said garbage removal will resume from Monday. “The ministry might also opt for other options to ensure people’s right to live in a healthy environment,” said Singh. Hari Kumar Shrestha, President of Local Body Employees’ Association, said, “We are not demanding permanent status for all staffers, we have only asked the government to adopt certain examination procedures to choose the right candidates.” Singh termed some demands of the agitating employees unreasonable. He added that it was impossible to make all contract-based staff permanent and wage-based ones temporary. Gangadhar Gautam, President of Local Body Employees’ Union, said the strike would continue until their demands were met. Last month, the Valley saw a two-week-long disruption of garbage disposal due to agitation on the part of local body employees. They had withdrawn their protests issuing a 21-day ultimatum to the government to fulfill their demands. However, the employees have launched fresh protests stating that the government had ignored their issues.



(Source: The Kathmandu Post; The Rising Nepal; The Himalayan Times; Annapurna Post; Rajdhani; Gorkhapatra, January 25, 2010)