Government has declared 61 more municipalities across the country on Tuesday.  A meeting of the Social Committee under the Cabinet made the decision to this effect, taking the total number of municipalities in the country to 191.

Although the Ministry for Local Development recommended the names of 66 new municipalities, the meeting announced only 61 new municipalities.

The meeting has also decided to form 7 new Sub-Metropolitan Cities merging the existing municipalities. the newly declared Sub-Metropolitan Cities are Hetauda, Dharan, Itahari, Bharatpur, Butwal, Nepalgunj and Janakpur municipalities.

Previously,  country had a total of 130 municipalities. With the fresh announcement, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur districts including whole Kathmandu Valley have become free of village development committees (VDC).