KATHMANDU: The government has launched a week-long nationwide cleanliness campaign in government offices from Monday with the aim of making public service delivery dignified, clean and environmentally friendly.
Health and Population Minister Nisha Meheta formally inaugurated the “National Cleanliness Week” campaign from Bir Hospital.
Under the campaign, cleanliness drives will be carried out in all federal, provincial and local government offices across the country until May 15.
The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has issued a special directive instructing all government bodies — from federal ministries to local units — to actively participate in the campaign.
According to the government’s “Cleanliness Week Operation Guidelines,” the initiative aims to implement sanitation standards in government offices in a cost-effective manner while ensuring maximum public benefit.
The guidelines were introduced amid concerns that the lack of regular cleaning and proper waste management standards in public offices has negatively affected service delivery as well as the health of employees and service seekers.
Under the new standards, government information boards, citizen charters and signboards must be clearly displayed and properly managed. Damaged or peeling walls are to be repaired and repainted, while service areas and office entrances must be kept clean and visually organized.
All toilets in government offices are required to remain odor-free with regular water supply arrangements. Soap has been made mandatory at handwashing stations, and offices must maintain daily cleaning records.
The guidelines also require toilets to be women-friendly, equipped with sanitary disposal facilities and, where possible, accessible for persons with disabilities.
Government offices must place at least two types of dustbins to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. The open burning of waste has been completely prohibited, and unused or old materials must be managed properly.
Additionally, offices are required to keep the surrounding 100-meter area, including drains and sewage lines, clean. The guidelines also call for improvements in parking areas and the removal of unmanaged wires and posters.
The government has further instructed offices to establish help desks and create a respectful and organized environment for service seekers while ensuring the full operation of information systems.
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