Kanchanrup employees face 6 month pay delay

By Sudha Deo,Bhardaha (Saptari), Jan. 5: Due to an ongoing dispute between the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Kanchanrup Municipality, employees have been unable to receive their salaries for the past six months. 

Locals reported that even though the first six months of the current fiscal year have passed, the municipality’s teachers, staff, and health workers have repeatedly protested, demanding their salaries and allowances. The delay has impacted the functioning of schools, healthcare facilities, and municipal offices.

A local resident stated that most of the municipality’s work has been neglected as the dispute between Mayor Lalan Prasad Gupta and Deputy Mayor Muna Kumari Pokharel escalated instead of being resolved.

“The fact that the municipal assembly for the current fiscal year has not yet been held due to the disagreement between the Mayor and Deputy Mayor reflects a lack of responsibility on the part of the people’s representatives,” said Bhola Paswan, a local resident.

Sarbajit Kumar Jha, Chief Administrative Officer of the municipality, said that despite repeated attempts to coordinate between the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to convene a municipal assembly, no agreement has been reached.

He added that the Deputy Mayor has consistently refused to cooperate, filing multiple cases in the Rajbiraj High Court, which has now imposed a ban on municipal executive meetings. “At present, the only solution is for all the municipality’s representatives to unite and hold a municipal assembly,” he said.

Jha further explained that salaries and allowances cannot be disbursed through any other means while the appropriation bill is under consideration. This is based on an agreement reached on December 10 between the Mayor, employees, and teachers.

He also noted that disbursing salaries from the Consolidated Fund is not feasible, as doing so would be irregular and contrary to verbal guidance from various authorities.