KATHMANDU: Locals of Maulapur Municipality in Rautahat have burned an effigy of Prime Minister Balendra Shah protesting the government’s failure to appoint a chief administrative officer (CAO) at the local level.
The protesters accused the government of leaving the municipality without a CAO for a prolonged period, disrupting budget implementation and payment processes. They chanted slogans demanding immediate appointment of the chief administrative officer, implementation of the municipal budget, and enforcement of court orders.
According to local residents, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration had transferred Suresh Babu Ghimire to the municipality, but he was later recalled after failing to assume office. The municipality has remained without a CAO since then, affecting administrative and financial operations, they said.
Locals, service recipients, and beneficiary groups have previously staged protests, saying development projects, budget execution, and payments under various schemes have been halted due to the vacancy.
Municipal teachers have been staging a pen-down protest after not receiving salaries for six months. Pregnant and postpartum women under the Multisectoral Nutrition Program have also complained of being deprived of related benefits. Sanitation workers reportedly stopped work after their salaries were withheld, affecting waste management services in the municipality.
Meanwhile, locals said implementation of an interim order from the Supreme Court directing the municipality not to halt payments for public welfare programs, including free electricity and drinking water services, has also been affected due to the absence of a chief administrative officer.
Maulapur Municipality Mayor Rina Shah accused the federal government of pushing the municipality into an administrative crisis by failing to appoint a CAO. She claimed that keeping the post vacant at a crucial time for budget implementation could lead to budget freezing.
The Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration have not issued any official response regarding the matter.
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