Local Level

The bottom line unit of Nepal’s state structure is the local level. At the local level, there are municipalities, rural municipalities and district assemblies established in accordance with the constitution. The local level exercise state power and maintain governance within the specified geography. The municipalities and the rural municipalities use the state power provided by the constitution as an administrative units whereas district assembly plays a role of coordination among and between federal, province and local levels within their jurisdiction. The local level is considered as the government at the citizen’s doorstep. The Constitution has mainly assigned the responsibility of providing basic services at the local level, ensuring participation of citizens in the governing system of the state, developmental activities at the local level and social security, among others. As local governments are the government nearest to citizen’s, the more flexible and competent it is, the stronger the democratic system would be. The Constitution has ensured that the local level would provide uninterrupted basic services, and, therefore, the local governments are regarded as provided exclusive status with continuous tenure and stability. At the local level, although, there is election among political parties to take charge, but there is no party system in operation of local governments. Therefore, all elected representatives have collective responsibility for operation of local governments as executives and law-makers. Local governments also apply all rights as of federal or provincial governments. Since the Constitution gives municipalities and rural municipalities the authority to legislate in their jurisdiction, the local level of Nepal has more rights and autonomy than any other federal country in the world. The legislative rights are vested on ‘municipal assembly’ while the ‘executive’ right is exercised by ‘municipal executive’. Similarly, the judicial committees would provide services related to justice within the constitutional and legal framework. There are currently 753 local levels in Nepal- six Metropolitan, 11 Sub-metropolitan, 263 Municipalities and 460 Rural Municipalities.
Among from the local levels within a district a District Assembly is constituted. The District Assembly would form a nine-member District Coordination Committee. The District Assembly has received rights to coordinate among Municipalities and Rural Municipalities within the district. It would also coordinate among federal, provincial and local offices operating in the district and monitor development activities in the District. There are 77 District Assemblies, one in each district.