KATHMANDU: Members of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s municipal council held an informal meeting on Wednesday to express concern over Mayor Balen Shah’s continued delay in calling key meetings necessary for governance and budget formulation.
The meeting, which included representatives from major political parties such as the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), and CPN (Unified Socialist), concluded with a unified decision to pressure Mayor Shah to convene both the executive committee and municipal council meetings without further delay.
This follows a previous informal gathering of 41 out of 42 members of the executive committee, which also urged the mayor to call a meeting as soon as possible.
Chini Kaji Maharjan, Ward Chair of Ward 22, highlighted that with the budget announcement period approaching, the absence of an executive meeting has created significant concern.
“Despite the requirement to meet at least once a month as per Section 17 (1) of the Local Government Operation Act 2017, the executive committee has not met since December 2024,” Maharjan stated.
Additionally, he emphasized the legal obligation for the municipal council to meet every six months—an obligation tied closely to budget discussions, especially as the fiscal deadline of mid-July looms.
“Development projects and policy decisions within the metropolis are now in limbo due to the mayor’s continuous avoidance of both executive and council meetings,” Maharjan said. “We have reached a critical point where even the budget’s scope and priorities remain unclear, as Mayor Shah has not allowed discussions within the executive body.”
Maharjan also expressed frustration over Mayor Shah’s controversial public remarks, saying, “One day he threatens to bury politicians, another day he talks about setting fire to Singha Durbar. Meanwhile, he fails to fulfill his responsibilities as a guardian of the metropolis.”
The informal meeting further appealed to Mayor Shah to seek solutions through dialogue, not evasion. “Running away is not the answer. Problems must be addressed through meetings and discussion,” Maharjan added.
As per the Local Government Operation Act, only the mayor holds the authority to convene and chair meetings of the executive and municipal council. However, Shah’s failure to fulfill this role has now raised serious concerns about the preparation and timely announcement of the upcoming fiscal year’s budget.
With continued inaction from the mayor, municipal council members have now joined the executive committee in escalating pressure. Elected officials voiced disappointment that a lack of accountability among leadership is increasingly obstructing the functioning of the metropolis.
Comment