Municipality launches monthly labour campaign

BY PREM ADHIKARI,Ilam, Sept. 5: Rong Rural Municipality in Ilam has initiated a monthly campaign requiring each household to contribute one day of labour toward the development of their village. The municipality implemented the campaign by creating official guidelines mandating household participation, marking the start of the campaign.

Through 57 local ward-based development committees, each household has begun participating in a day of labour every month. Activities include local road repairs, cleaning drainage systems, maintaining school compounds, reconstructing temples and monasteries, tree planting in community forests, and protecting public assets. 

Rong Rural Municipality Chairman Mani Kumar Syangbo said that citizens were actively involved in safeguarding structures that, despite being developed, had previously lacked proper maintenance.

To implement the campaign effectively, the municipality initially trained officials of all 57 ward development committees on their duties, responsibilities, and authority. An annual budget of Rs. 20,000 per committee has been allocated to support monthly meetings and other development activities. The municipality has also introduced a legal framework that could restrict recommendations from wards for those who fail to participate, reinforcing the administrative structure at the local level.

Chairman Syangbo said, “We work with a limited budget, and it is impossible to implement development in all areas at once. Citizens should not only criticize the government but also contribute to ongoing projects. We aim to cultivate a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility.”

Yubaraj Acharya, Chairman of the Tharpu Ward Development Committee in Rambhyang, said that citizens had actively embraced the labour campaign. Citizens are helping remove wooden logs obstructing roads and preventing further damage caused by heavy vehicles. Such efforts have allowed roads to be repaired efficiently through local community involvement.

Geographically remote and bordering Jhapa district and India via the Mechi Highway, some wards of the municipality are accessible only through Jhapa. Chief Administrative Officer Binod Kumar Chauhan said that citizen participation in small-scale development reduces municipal expenses and fosters a sense of ownership and accountability.

As locals engage in road maintenance and preservation work, the municipality is witnessing visible improvements. Pradip Bhujel, Chairman of Chametar Ward Development Committee, stated that religious and tourist sites within the municipality were becoming cleaner and better maintained. “The guidelines have made it easier to unite everyone for development, fostering a culture of building and maintaining one’s own village,” he said.

Municipality Vice Chairman Bishnumaya Khawas added that elected representatives from both the municipality and wards actively joined the labour efforts.

In addition to infrastructure development, the municipality has also focused on agricultural initiatives, promoting the production, branding, and marketing of crops such as fermented leafy vegetables (gundruk), bitter gourd, mustard greens, turmeric, and honey. To improve educational quality, a monthly parent education programme is also being conducted across the municipality.