Think nationally, act locally: The Nepali people seem to know which way they want to go, but do their leaders?, by Kunda Dixit (nt 18/05/2012)

Proposal on 41 municipals on the cards, says ministry (ht 16/05/2012)

MoLD transfers hit monitoring of local bodies (ht 10/05/2012)

KMC strained as chief exec eyes new car, by Nirjana Sharma (kp 25/04/2012)

‘Decision on 38 new municipalities soon’ (ht 25/04/2012)

Local Democracy: Critical Issues & Directions, by Upendra Bahadur BK (sp 20/04/2012)

Govt’s bid to rein in DDCs fails (ht 19/04/2012)

All travel and no work for KMC officials (kp 16/04/2012)

Regional admin to get more teeth: Govt in bid to boost efficiency at local levels (ht 14/04/2012)

Joint secy as CDOs in 11 hill districts (rep 13/04/2012)

Call for civic elections: Polls must to rid local bodies of graft: Leaders (ht 03/04/2012)

New plan to reign in local bodies, by Bhadra Sharma (kp 30/03/2012)

New municipality proposals await fresh govt approval (ht 10/03/2012)

DDCs to face govt action: Ministry demands clarification on financial irregularities (ht 03/03/2012)

The local link: Alternative arrangements for all party mechanisms are needed (kp 01/03/2012)

Performance of DDCs and municipals under scanner (ht 09/02/2012)

23 DDCs dare to defy directives: Haven’t responded to MoLD warning for 5 months (ht 05/02/2012)

DDCs asked to keep tabs on VDCs (kp 26/01/2012)

Municipal proposal stuck in Cabinet (ht 25/01/2012)

Local government structures: Some thoughts, by Umesh B. Malla (ht 25/01/2012)

Parties will be made active at local level for operation of local bodies: Minister (nn 16/01/2012) [Local bodies must be elected by the local population and not be nominated by party leaders!!], Election For Local Self-governance Urgent, by Soorya Lal Amatya (rn 17/01/2012), House panel directs govt to hold local elections, by Gani Ansari (rep 20/01/2012), Gear up for local polls, House panel tells govt (kp 20/01/2012), Flawed prescriptions: Simply dissolving APMs or holding local elections will not solve the problems of local governance, by Aditya Adhikari (kp 24/01/2012)

House panel to order interim polls for local bodies (rep 13/01/2012), House committee for local body polls (kp 13/01/2012)

Govt revives plan to set up service centers (rep 13/01/2012)

10 towns planned in hills to stem out-migration, by Prabhakar Ghimire (rep 12/01/2012)

‘No polls before statute’ (ht 12/01/2012)

One Bold Step Towards Order At The Bottom, by Prem Khatry (rn 10/01/2012)

Ministry set to authorise parties to run local bodies (kp 07/01/2012)

Govt set to declare new municipalities (kp 05/01/2012)

All-party mechanisms at local bodies scrapped (rep 04/01/2012), Civil servants to replace all-party mechanisms (kp 04/01/2012), NC, UML concerned over dissolution of all-party mechanism (rep 04/01/2012), Local bodies political mechanism scrapped: Government staffers will now take charge (ht 05/01/2012)

Govt plans to dissolve all-party mechanisms: Begins talk on holding local elections, by Bhadra Sharma (kp 26/12/2011), Polls apart (rep 27/12/2011), Govt moots new local body mechanism: Move comes after CIAA issues order to scrap them (ht 28/12/2011)

CIAA wants local all-party mechanism scrapped, by Bimal Gautam (rep 24/12/2011), CIAA asks govt to dissolve 4,000 all-party mechanisms, by Bhadra Sharma (kp 24/12/2011)

VDCs under close watch of ministry: Government to control local-level irregularities (ht 22/12/2011)

VDCs collecting municipal taxes (ht 17/12/2011)

The waiting game: Nepalis will judge the success of national politics on the basis of accountability in local bodies, by Sarah Levit-Shore and Ghyanashyam Ojha (kp 09/12/2011)

Parties agree to hold local polls late next year: Top leaders authorised to decide on consensus govt, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (kp 05/12/2011)

Donors press for local polls (ht 26/11/2011)

Model VDCs in 75 districts on cards (ht 23/11/2011)

Surging grants from govt, donors sans accountability, by Bhadra Sharma (kp 22/11/2011)

PM wants alternative to local body mechanism: Says current mechanism a ‘platform for corruption’ (kp 07/11/2011)

Bad governance unabated in local bodies: Parties undermining fiscal discipline; MoLD only sends warning letters (ht 06/11/2011)

VDC secys’ absence adds to Rolpalis’ trouble (ht 02/11/2011)

Plan to systemise local body mechanism shelved: Political parties squandering development budget on a whim with least activities seen (ht 01/11/2011)

Town aspirants' joy set to vanish: Municipalities bid on hold; Govt to release budget to constituent VDCs, by Binod Ghimire and Nirjana Sharma (kp 18/10/2011)

Public services stalled in many Surkhet villages as VDC secys play truant (nn 11/10/2011)

CDO authority curbs on anvil: Move follows apex court directive (ht 10/10/2011)

Local bodies’ arrears shoot up, by Bhadra Sharma (kp 09/10/2011)

Municipality 'negligence’ costs Nepalgunj dear, by Rajendra Nath (kp 03/10/2011)

Local Governance In Nepal, by Mukti Rijal (rn 28/09/2011)

KMC ward secretaries must know Newa language, by Nawaraj Rai (rep 23/09/2011)

Apex court for review of CDO powers (kp 23/09/2011)

Declaration of new municipals: Government plan in limbo: Deadline to propose municipalities expired two weeks ago (ht 23/09/2011)

Billions of rupees wasted at local level Absence of elected bodies hinders development work (ht 17/09/2011)

Minister Rayamajhi roots for reactivating all-party body (kp 14/09/2011)

Clamour to hold local elections at the earliest (kp 06/09/2011)

Govt has 75 proposals for new municipals: Technical committee seeks extension of tenure to complete task of determining approval (ht 02/09/2011)

Proposed 41 municipalities in limbo, by Shreejana Shrestha (rep 22/08/2011)

Hold Elections To Local Bodies, by Rekha Shrestha Sharma (rn 18/08/2011)

Panel to pick new municipals (ht 07/08/2011)

Political feud delays KMC budget again: Rs 2.25 billion to be allocated for current fiscal year (ht 03/08/2011)

New municipals to assume full shape (ht 28/07/2011), 10 locations chosen for hill cities, by Ramesh Shrestha (kp 29/07/2011)

Six municipals still to prepare periodical plans (ht 06/07/2011)

Govt on backfoot: Politicos not to head local bodies, after all, by Bhadra Sharma (kp 04/07/2011), Congress wants civic polls by mid-December (ht 04/07/2011), 17 fringe parties against all-party mechanisms to run local bodies (nn 04/07/2011), Plan draws 15 parties’ flak (kp 05/07/2011)

Challenges To Local Bodies, by Pranav Bhattarai (rn 02/07/2011), Time To Revisit Decentralisation And Local Governance, by Rekha Shrestha Sharma (rn 02/07/2011)

All politics is local: Democracy has to be locally responsive to deliver development, by Ashutosh Tiwari (nt 01/07/2011)

10 years sans elected bodies: Govt proposes new local body council, by Anil Giri (kp 26/06/2011) [Remember: They had been abruptly dissolved by then PM Sher Bahadur Deuba (Nepali Congress) for mere political reasons!!], Proposal For Council Is Welcome But Needs Vetting (rn 28/06/2011), Govt mulling all-party mechanism to run local bodies (nn 30/06/2011)

Remote control for prosperity: Despite messy politics in Kathmandu, Darchula finds its peace dividend, by Rubeena Mahato (nt 03/06/2011)

State-building from ground up: Local elections is the key, by Mukti Rijal (ht 26/05/2011)

Auditing system fails to keep books in order: Around Rs 10 billion yet to be audited (ht 18/05/2011)

All politics is local: When will we have the next local elections?, by Prashant Jha (kp 11/05/2011)

Outdated local governance laws amendment in offing (ht 06/05/2011)

Third party to monitor overall performance of local bodies (ht 03/05/2011)

Empowering local bodies: Ministry directive gathering dust (ht 01/05/2011)

Govt to classify VDCs for self-governance (ht 27/04/2011)

Fund for landslide prevention allotted to landslide free area (nn 26/04/2011)

VDC secys demand security (ht 25/04/2011)

Kavre cancels public land registered in locals’ names, by Manoj Basnet (kp 20/04/2011)

Social security fund details demanded (ht 19/04/2011)

Kirat outfit terrorises VDC secys (kp 07/04/2011)

VDC staff seek high security, better pay: Mahottari VDCs closed to protest staffer’s murder (ht 04/04/2011)

Government offices shut down in Siraha (ht 04/04/2011)

unsari VDC secys resign en masse (kp 22/03/2011)

Local malaise: In the absence of elected representatives, local bodies have become party fiefdoms, by Bhadra Sharma (kp 22/02/2011)

Over Rs 120 million in grants for Jhapa local bodies (ht 09/02/2011)

Self-appointed KMC chief riles many (ht 02/02/2011)

New KMC chief: Appointment becomes a thorny issue (kp 19/01/2011)

Manual to check political mechanism in local bodies (kp 18/01/2011)

MoLD to settle 60 pc unaudited budget (ht 09/01/2011)

Bid to make local bodies accountable: Government draws up guidelines to curb irregularities (ht 08/01/2011)

City without a mayor: The lack of a stable leadership, not funds is the reason behind Kathmandu’s infrastructural stagnation, by Ishwar Rauniyar (kp 08/01/2011)

All municipalities to receive periodic plan by end of fiscal (ht 02/01/2011)

Corruption In The Local Bodies, by Pranav Bhattarai (rn 01/01/2011)

Politicians ‘gobbling up’ development budget (kp 31/12/2010)

No allowance for elders in VDCs (ht 19/12/2010)

Butwal municipality: Returning Favor, by Madhav Nepal (sp 17/12/2010)

Morang VDC secys flee posts, by Binod Bhandari (kp 12/12/2010)

Municipality Association proposes to form a single Metropolitan City in Kathmandu valley (nn 07/12/2010)

Local participation budget killed (ht 26/11/2010)

Local input: Proposed citizen forums will help improve local governance (kp 24/11/2010)

4,000 VDCs to get managers soon, by Bhadra Sharma (kp 23/11/2010)

Banepa Municpality: Unhelpful Nexus, by Saroj Dahal (sp 19/11/2010)

Messy local governance, by Pranav Bhattarai (rep 17/11/2010)

MoLD move to better local bodies (kp 06/11/2010)

800 VDCs without secretaries (nn 27/10/2010), 850 VDCs without secys for two years (ht 02/11/2010)

Tax row continues to shut Dharan municipality: Locals accuse staffers of not performing duties effectively (ht 22/10/2010)

MoLD to pinpoint failure (kp 21/10/2010)

KMC budget: Approved but yet to be implemented (ht 08/10/2010)

Doing just fine: Minimum Conditions and Performance Measures have increased local bodies’ accountability and responsiveness, by Yam Nath Sharma (kp 07/10/2010)

Local bodies to get less budget for their poor performance (ht 02/10/2010)

Long wait for local government: With politics at a standstill in Kathmandu, governance should be shifting to the local levels. In fact, the national is holding the local hostage, by Aditya Adhikari (Himal Southasian 10/2010)

The Mukhiya system of Mustang: An example in constitution building and a functioning democracy in Nepal, by Nirmala Sannyashi (kp 30/09/2010)

No action against local bodies (kp 29/09/2010)

KMC listed ‘poorest municipality’ (kp 24/09/2010)

Unaudited budget on rise in local bodies (ht 17/09/2010)

Rs 3b more missing from coffers, by Bhadra Sharma (kp 08/09/2010)

Show me the money: Greater oversight is needed over local bodies’ spending (kp 02/09/2010), Unspent budget being returned (ht 02/09/2010), Vacuum sees growth die, by Laxmi Shah (kp 04/09/2010), Rs 140 million unused in local bodies (ht 04/09/2010)

DDC allocate Rs. 214 m for elderly, disabled in Jhapa district (nn 22/08/2010)

Local bodies in dock (kp 21/08/2010), Financial indiscipline in local bodies (rep 25/08/2010), Govt bodies flouting regulations (ht 26/08/2010)

Local body graft: A week’s deadline to come clear (kp 19/08/2010)

Insubordination at metropolis: Miffed joint secretary insults senior, threatens co-workers, journalist, by Bishnu Prasad Aryal (kp 19/08/2010)

KMC budget of Rs 1.75 billion, deficit amounting to Rs 180 million approved (ht 17/08/2010)

VDC secys in eastern hills under constant threat (ht 16/08/2010)

Govt to probe local bodies’ shenanigans, by Bhadra Sharma (kp 09/08/2010)

Local bodies pull wool over govt eyes, by Bhadra Sharma (kp 05/08/2010), Local bodies transfer funds illegally: NVC (ht 05/08/2010), Scrap pre-audit system: KMC staff (ht 05/08/2010)

Govt offices sans chiefs, service seekers hard put (ht 01/08/2010)

Govt gears up for VDC secys’ safety (kp 31/07/2010), Govt to provide special security to VDC secretaries (nn 31/07/2010)

Headless local bodies, by Bihari Krishna Shrestha (kp 30/07/2010)

Local bodies told to mend their ways (ht 28/07/2010)

VDC secys raise security clamour (kp 26/07/2010)

Local solutions: Arrangements have to be made for effective governance of local bodies (kp 26/07/2010)

Facelift for six municipalities: Earlier plan to develop emerging cities sidelined, by Bishnu Prasad Aryal (ht 25/07/2010)

Patient MoLD biding time: To run local bodies after govt formation, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (kp 25/07/2010)

Udayapur VDC secys resign en masse (nn 25/07/2010)

Bajhang VDC secys quit en bloc (ht 22/07/2010)

LDO assault shuts local bodies (ht 19/07/2010)

Sunsari VDC secys resign en masse (nn 17/07/2010)

Media In Strengthening Local Governance, by Laxman Datt Pant (rn 13/07/2010)

Kailali VDC secretaries resign en masse (nn 13/07/2010)

Explosion rocks Saptari VDC office as secys of Tanahun and Dang resign enmasse (nn 05/07/2010), Threats spark mass resignation: Dang, Lamjung, Rautahat VDC secretaries put in papers (ht 06/07/2010)

Govt resigned to fate as secys quit (ht 04/07/2010)

Local guardian: Effective local bodies help boost the legitimacy of state, by Pranab Kharel (kp 01/07/2010)

Five municipalities fail to perform (ht 30/06/2010)

Myagdi VDC secys resign en masse (ht 26/06/2010), Govt to address VDC secys’ concerns: Regulations to address demands in offing (ht 27/06/2010), Exodus of 90 VDC secys hits districts, by Manoj Basnet and Surendra Subedi (kp 28/06/2010), Myagdi VDC secys back to business (ht 29/06/2010), VDC secys in Parbat, Dolakha resign en masse after threats from ethnic outfit (nn 29/06/2010), Kaski VDC secretaries resign en masse (ht 01/07/2010), Rolpa VDC secys quit en masse followings threat (nn 01/07/2010), Baglung VDC secys quit (kp 02/07/2010), Baglung secys quit (ht 02/07/2010), VDC secys mass resign (kp 03/07/2010), VDC secretaries back to work in Banke (rn 04/07/2010)

VDC secys feeling threat heat, thinking of quitting (ht 24/06/2010)

Banke VDC secys turn tail: Forty-six say they fear for their lives (kp 21/06/2010)

Sans plans for decade, KMC finds itself in mess (ht 09/06/2010)

20 VDC offices operating from a room in Bhojpur, by Rajan Bhattarai (ht 30/05/2010)

Birth of new municipalities aborted, by Ishwar Rauniyar (kp 23/05/2010)

Police escort VDC secy to office: Abduction fear forces secys to stay in district headquarters (kp 20/05/2010)

Self-rule in northern Gorkha villages, by Shiva Apriya (ht 20/05/2010)

VDCs sans staffers, govt in dark (kp 19/05/2010)

MoLD appoints 100 VDC secys illegally, by Bishnu Prasad Aryal (ht 11/05/2010)

Fear keeps secys away from VDCs, by Bishnu Prasad Aryal (ht 28/04/2010), Donation drives secys away: 39 VDC secys in Ilam resign; Service seekers in trouble (ht 28/04/2010)

Govt staff shun Karnali, 50 pc budget frozen yearly, by Bishnu Prasad Aryal (ht 20/04/2010)

VIP escorting takes bulk of fuel budget in Banke, by Janak Nepal (kp 08/04/2010)

Fixing Local Body Problems (rn 04/04/2010)

Taplejung DDC policies kicking locals in teeth, by Anand Gautam (kp 01/04/2010)

Dalits, Muslims assemble (rn 30/03/2010)

VDC secys displaced in Siraha, by Rambabu Yadav (ht 26/03/2010)

Vacant VDC secretary posts up by two-fold in 2009 (ht 25/03/2010)

VDC officials go mobile as offices lie in ruins, by Rabindra Shahi (ht 17/03/2010)

Kirat puts fear into VDC secys, by Binod Bhandari (kp 16/03/2010)

VDC secys' posts to be 'filled' soon (ht 12/03/2010), Govt to appoint 861 VDC secretaries, by Bishnu Prasad Aryal (ht 13/03/2010)

Democracy At The Roots: The VDC Blues, by Prem Khatry (rn 09/03/2010) [see also part 2 (16/03/2010)]

VDC secys' posts lying vacant (ht 06/03/2010)

MoLD issues guidelines on local body grants (ht 05/03/2010)

Rs 1.45b for KMC (kp 23/02/2010)

Corruption by consensus: A free-for-all has resulted as the local bodies have had no elected reps since 2002, by Narayan Manandhar (kp 22/02/2010)

Local lapses: If you're wondering who your mayor is, don't bother, by Ashutosh Tiwari (nt 19/02/2010)

Market Protection Officer in districts (ht 11/02/2010)

1,100 VDC secretary posts to be filled up, by Anil Giri (kp 10/02/2010)

KMC restructures administration (ht 04/02/2010)

Local body staffers' stir hits service seekers (ht 28/01/2010), Agitating local body employees snub govt's talks offer (nn 28/01/2010), Local body strike on, by Bishnu Prasad Aryal (ht 29/01/2010), Local body employees return to work (nn 01/02/2010), Local body staffers call off strike, garbage collection likely to resume (nn 01/02/2010), Local body employees withdraw agitation (kp 02/02/2010)

Terror-hit Banke VDC secys leave villages (ht 28/01/2010), Scared VDC secys in Banke flee villages, warn of strikes (nn 28/01/2010)

Call of duty: Accommodation will be the key to solving the local body dispute (kp 26/01/2010), Govt to take up local body unions issues tomorrow (ht 26/01/2010)

Local bodies stay shut (kp 26/01/2010)

VDC unable to hold village council meet (rn 22/01/2010)

Local bodies to be constituted after state-restructuring task completes: Serma (nn 17/01/2010)

4 VDCs at the care of 1 secy, by Shiva Apriya (ht 15/01/2010)

Where Are The Local Bodies? (rn 14/01/2010)

VDC secretaries still operate from HQ, by Kishor Budhathoki (ht 10/01/2010)

One secretary mans 10 VDCs in Bhojpur (ht 04/01/2010)

a