The country is now in election mode. However, there are many settlements in Madhesh where even those who have reached the age of 70 have never cast their votes. Here we present examples of how government policies and practices deprive citizens of their right to vote, considered the greatest civil right in a democracy.

Mukesh Pokhrel |CIJ, Nepal

A beautiful village in Bajhang has become desolate as officials neglected laws and regulations and even ignored warnings of experts. This is the story of the destruction of heritage, community, and the environment due to unrestrained exploitation of nature in the rush for ‘development’.

Basant Pratap Singh |CIJ, Nepal

Nepal’s political parties floated a lot of dreams in their local-level election manifestos to lure voters; five years on, those dreams are limited to just dreams. Parties, who made promises that remain unfulfilled, have made a mockery out of important document like an election manifesto, and have gotten a chance to trick voters again and again.

Ramesh Kumar |CIJ, Nepal

How have cooperatives supposed to be instrumental in uplifting the poor have instead become mediums to rip them off? The rampant fraud of many cooperatives mushrooming in Dharan Sub-metropolis and the complicity of agencies supposed to be monitoring them and local level representatives provide the answer.

Gopal Dahal |CIJ, Nepal

Several local governments have done exemplary work by becoming engaged in wildlife and ecological conservation.

Maheshwar Acharya |CIJ, Nepal

Farms in Syangja’s Putalibazaar are under assault from gangs of roving monkeys that destroy all the crops, leaving farmers with little to harvest. 

Dinesh Kafle |CIJ, Nepal

[wr_row][wr_column]Roads constructed by destroying forests and protected areas have caused disasters in several places. Environmental law and environmental construction are largely ignored while constructing such infrastructures.

Mukesh Pokhrel | CIJ, Nepal

The worsening conflict regarding the use of natural resources between national parks and local units adjoining it has started to affect wildlife conservation.

Mukesh Pokharel  | CIJ, Nepal

Illegal parcelling off of the land in Godavari Municipality, Lalitpur has not only destroyed agricultural land but also encroached on forest area and public land. The local government, which is supposed to take action against the uprooting of communities, has become a puppet in the hands of businessmen.

Suresh Tamang |CIJ, Nepal

The court hasn’t held anyone accountable even when a DNA sample, considered an important piece of evidence in criminal cases, sent for testing was tampered with. Result: The powerful are extracting results from labs to suit themselves and avoid punishment in criminal cases.

Man Bahadur Basnet |CIJ, Nepal

The construction of 38 health offices in Sudurpaschim province hasn’t ended Bajura folks’ compulsion to walk hours to reach health institutions. Thirty-six buildings aren’t in operation in Bajura, where the life expectancy of 14 percent of the total population isn’t more than 40 years. 

Prakash Singh, |CIJ, Nepal

Having served as deputy mayors, women representatives are vying for the post of mayors. What are the bases of their claims?

Laxmi Basnet |CIJ, Nepal

The story of Western Tarai’s  former kamaiyas who haven’t had a place to call home for 21 years even after being emancipated, reveals that neither the monarchy back then nor the local government now has done anything to improve their lives. Unnati Chaudhary | CIJ, Nepal This July 18 marks the 21st anniversary of the proclamation […]

As the government fails to control the atrocities of loan sharks, unsuspecting borrowers in Kailali continue to lose their properties for petty loans. 

Chandani Acharya | CIJ, Nepal

Political parties, supposed to follow rule of law, are abusing the law to punish representatives at the local levels for ‘quitting the party’.

Krishna Gyawali |CIJ, Nepal

Unchecked human activities and negligence from all three tiers of governments turning far-flunh mountain forests into eyesores. A story of environmental degradation and climate change induced crisis. 

Basanta Pratap Singh  | CIJ, Nepal

The government has made a mockery of federalism by centralizing the local units’ right to distribute royalty on natural resources. Meanwhile, lack of parity in distribution is inviting a frightening inequality between local units. 

Bhim Gautam |CIJ, Nepal

The government is bent on purchasing equipment rather than managing human resources for critical care units.

Sagar Budhathoki  | CIJ, Nepal

People’s representatives who are supposed to make policies and set examples are presenting falsified invoices in the name of car maintenance and receiving payments.

Amrita Anmol | CIJ, Nepal

While most local governments are busy constructing ‘attractive projects’–road, bridge, view tower—Bar Bardiya Municipality in Bardiya district is an exception. By allocating one-third of the total budget for education, it is quietly leading the ‘education revolution’ across the municipality. 

BP Anmol  | CIJ, Nepal