Rukum East, February 24
A dispute has intensified in Rukum East over the deployment of personnel for the House of Representatives election scheduled for Falgun 21, after a designated polling officer refused to assume his responsibilities.
Ram Prasad Khadka, Assistant Education Officer of Putha Uttarganga Rural Municipality, declined to serve as a polling officer, alleging that teachers were sidelined in favour of health workers for election duties. Submitting a written letter to the District Election Office, Rukum East, Khadka announced his resignation from the post of polling officer assigned to Nepal Rastriya Secondary School, Chunwang, Ward No. 9 of Bhume Rural Municipality.
In his letter, Khadka accused the Election Commission of adopting a discriminatory policy that undermines teachers’ professional dignity.
“Teachers who enlighten society with education have been completely bypassed. When the state fails to respect their dignity and responsibility, my conscience does not allow me to serve as a polling officer,” he wrote.
Widespread objection over the deployment of health workers
The controversy began after the District Election Office decided to mobilise a large number of health workers for election duties.
Earlier, both the Nepal Teachers’ Federation and the Rukum East chapter of the Federation of Nepali Journalists had urged authorities not to deploy health workers in election-related tasks and instead keep them focused on regular health services.
The Ministry of Health and Population had also written to the Election Commission, stating that health workers should remain on 24-hour alert during the election period and should not be assigned election duties. Despite this, health workers were appointed to election roles in the district, even though employees from other sectors were available, further fueling dissatisfaction.
Election office under pressure
With the election approaching, the refusal of a designated official to take up his role has placed the District Election Office under pressure. Conflicting directives from the Health Ministry and dissatisfaction among teachers have created challenges in election management in the district.
Following Khadka’s decision, other teachers and education-sector employees have also begun voicing their objections. How the District Election Office addresses the situation and fills the vacant position has become a matter of public concern across the district.
Rukum East, which has a single electoral constituency, will see 14 candidates in the race, including Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, coordinator of the Communist Party of Nepal; Lilamani Gautam of CPN-UML; Kusum Devi Thapa of Nepali Congress; Lakhan Kumar Thapa of Rastriya Swatantra Party; Sandip Pun of the Progressive Democratic Party; and Roshan Shah of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, among others.
