Waste management is local level's job as per constitution: Minister Sharma

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Apr. 13: Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma has stressed that it is the responsibility of the local level to manage waste as per the constitution.

To refuse to manage waste on the party of local levels in different pretexts is to breach the constitution and fail to act upon one's rights and responsibilities.

Minister Sharma said this while responding to queries, during a press meet today to make public the Cabinet meeting decision, with regard to Kathmandu Metropolitan City rejecting to manage waste from Singh Durbar.

She said the KMC was neglecting public health by not picking up garbage from Singh Durbar.

Waste management has been made an issue of protest with a view to achieve another purpose.

She said it was inappropriate to play with people's health simply because the issues raised by KMC Mayor were not concluded.

Discussion is needed on issues where the federal government has to facilitate, but the KMC Mayor should work as per the provisions in the constitution, laws and local government operation Act.

"If we, representatives of the people say we won't follow laws, it does not give positive message. Garbage management falls under the local level's single right as enshrined in Schedule -8 of the constitution," she said.

Clause 11 of the Local Government Operation Act, 2017, states the dos of the local government. But, it is inappropriate to make the dos an issue of protest for achieving another purpose. It is not good to stop managing garbage and play with people's health in this summer season. Responsible officials do not resort to such tactics, she said.