Ghodaghodi, Sept 10, The judicial committee formed under the deputy chief at local level is finding a hard time to dispense justice on the complaints registered at new mechanism. Though deputy chief of the local level is legally authorized to deliver justice it has become tough for them to discharge the responsibilities in lack of laws and physical infrastructure.
Citing this situation, deputy chiefs of the local levels have voiced for the need of capacity strengthening training on existing law, rules, directives and justice execution. Anchala Chaudhary, Deputy Mayor of Gauriganga municipality, Kailali, said public trust on judicial committee is gradually gaining ground at local level.
The pressure of complaint has gone up with rising public trust but the implementation part, particularly investigation and justice dispensation, is slack in absence of legal adviser, she added. Deputy Mayor Chaudhary further said most of the complaints lodged at the judicial committee include domestic violence against women, divorce, land dispute, road encroachment, land intrusion, rivalry among neighbours, waste management, defamation, robbery, labour and wages.
“It is very difficult to work in the capacity of coordinator of judicial committee”, she said, adding, “It would be easier for them to perform the role if they were provided with training on the duties and responsibilities, legal provisions and authorities”.
The family disputes, financial transactions and border dispute are very common cases and such cases are being settled through mediators, she further shared. Likewise, Ratna Kathayat, deputy mayor of Godawari municipality, said justice dispensation has been delayed due to rise in the registration of complaints at judicial committee following its formation.
She noted that the committee is carrying out mediation between two sides, hearing on the complaints and issuing verdicts as part of justice delivery responsibility according to the Local Government Operation Act-2074 BS. In most of the local levels of Kailali, the judicial committee is performing justice dispensation works from the chamber of deputy chief in lack of judicial bench.
For no bench in place, it is difficult to hold adequate discussion between petitioner and defendant sides and mediate the dispute, shared coordinators of judicial committee. It is also noted that the privacy of the people is also likely to break in some cases in lack of bench.
