Dozens of local government units across the country are still without executives three months after the local level elections. The government has yet to deploy executives to two metropolis, 21 municipalities and 52 rural municipalities and 3,900 wards of the local levels.

This depicts the height of negligence on the part of the central government especially the Ministry of General Administration and Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development.

Of the total six metropolis in the country, only four have got joint secretaries, while two are yet to get their executive officers. Operations in 21 out of the total 276 municipalities have been hampered as they are yet to get executive officers. Though under secretaries are designated as executive officers in the municipalities, only 186 officials have taken charge, leaving 69 municipalities still under the charge of section officers.

Similarly, the seat of executive officer remain vacant in 52 rural municipalities. There are 460 rural municipalities in total.

MoFALD officers said they have been swarmed with frequent calls from the heads of the local level units where executive officers have not reported for duty. “Many of them demand their contact numbers but we don’t have their numbers,” said an administrative officer at MoFALD.

Apart from executive officers, the local levels lack 3,900 employees at ward levels.

Adding more agony to the local levels, 22 concerned ministries are yet to hand over offices under the respective ministries, detailed work plans and responsibilities, budget, programmes as well as their liabilities.

Secretaries at the Prime Minister’s Office also claimed that officials of the 22 ministries were reluctant to hand over their authorities to the local level units, claiming that the latter could not assume the responsibility.

Asked about the reason behind the delay in sending the executives, MoGA Spokesperson Shivaram Neupane said they had deputed 14,000 employees to

the local levels and had recently asked MoFALD to provide the necessary human

resources.

“Once we receive the demand in writing, we can send employees where necessary,” Neupane said.

Despite MoFALD officers’ claims that the concerned ministry has already deputed the necessary civil servants to local governments, many of them have not reported for duty.

They said female officers have been reluctant to go to remote areas, while many

others have been deployed for the elections and as such could not reach their assigned duty stations.