Kathmandu. The government has taken decisive steps to end the tendency of ‘Officiating Chief Administrative Officer’ that has taken root at the local level for long. Permanent Chief Administrative Officer has been deputed in 78 rural municipalities under the campaign.

As per the decision taken by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration on Thursday, 78 section officers working in various ministries and bodies have been assigned with the responsibility of chief administrative officers to rural municipalities across the country.

The administration at the local levels had been being run on the basis of the instrument for a long time. Due to this, the government has been criticized for delay in decision making, ambiguity in responsibility and weakness in service delivery. The government has launched the ‘End of Money’ campaign with the objective of strengthening the permanent administrative structure by ending this situation.

Minister Pratibha Rawal, after assuming the office of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, has given high priority to the administrative reforms of the local level. Earlier, the process of deputing under-secretaries by removing the officiating chief administrative officer had started in the municipalities and now the same process has been extended to the rural municipalities as well.

According to the Ministry, works are still underway in some municipalities and rural municipalities. Therefore, the government is preparing to create a ‘zero cause’ situation by deputing permanent chief administrative officers at all local levels.

The government hopes that this step will make service delivery more efficient, effective and accountable. It is believed that the deputation of the Chief Administrative Officer will speed up development, construction, administrative decision and service delivery.

According to the Ministry, the employees who have been working in the same agency for more than two years on the basis of transfer, the situation of not being seen in the local level in the records of the ministry, the employees who have similar home addresses, and the need of human resource management to make the service delivery at the local level smooth and effective. It is also stated that the decision was taken as questions were raised by the regulatory body regarding financial discipline while operating the local level through the instrumental system.