RAUTAHAT, JULY 9 Residents of Maulapur Municipality in Rautahat staged a protest on Thursday, burning an effigy of Prime Minister Balendra Shah and accusing the federal government of paralysing local governance by failing to appoint a chief administrative officer. The demonstrators alleged that the prolonged vacancy has stalled budget implementation, disrupted development projects and severely affected public service delivery. During the protest, they chanted slogans demanding the immediate appointment of a chief administrative officer, implementation of court orders and an end to what they described as attempts to freeze the municipality's budget. According to protesters, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration had transferred Chief Administrative Officer Suresh Babu Ghimire to the municipality, but he never assumed office. Although the ministry reportedly recalled him, no replacement has been appointed, leaving the municipality without its top administrative official.

Locals said the absence of the chief administrative officer has delayed development works, budget execution, salary payments to municipal staff and teachers, social security disbursements and other essential public services. Municipal school teachers, who have reportedly gone unpaid for nearly six months, had earlier launched a pen-down protest. Beneficiaries of the Multi-Sector Nutrition Programme, including pregnant women and new mothers, have also reportedly not received payments. Waste management has likewise been affected after sanitation workers stopped working over unpaid wages. Mayor Rina Kumari Sah accused the federal government of deliberately creating an administrative crisis by failing to appoint a chief administrative officer at a critical stage of budget implementation. She alleged that the delay was intended to obstruct municipal operations and prevent the budget from being implemented.