Lamjung - Local government officers who were forced by the Maoists to leave the villages because they represented the \'old regime' are now being asked to return. The rebels have ordered the secretary of every VDC to return and resume their work. The district Maoist chief, Budhiram Tamu, warned that action would be taken against them and they would be forced to resign from their posts if they decided not to leave the district headquarters and return. "After we chased them out of the village, it has become more convenient for them in the district headquarters. They are free to do anything and there is no authority to control them," said one Maoist leader. "We want to bring them back so that we can monitor their work more closely." This is not the first time they have been recalled. VDC officers had gone back during the last ceasefire but after the peace talks broke down they were forced out. If they should choose to go back this time around, they will still hold no authority. Everything will need the prior approval and sanction of the rebels. "If we refuse to follow their orders, our lives will be at stake. It's better to resign," one VDC secretary said. During the state of emergency, the Maoists destroyed 56 VDC offices in this districtand important documents and papers were burnt. Since then, VDC secretaries have held office in hotels, restaurants and district meeting halls. They have no privacy and documents can't be stored securely. Villagers face problems processing citizenship papers, registering marriages and procuring necessary documents because officers are difficult to locate. "Most of the time, we never find a secretary and have to walk all the way back to our village," says Milan Gurung from Tandrang Taksar.