KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 17
The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has issued a circular to district coordination officers of all district coordination offices and chief administrative officers of all the local levels, directing them not to sanction leave to their executives without its prior approval.
In the circular posted on its website yesterday, the MoFA- GA revealed that the DCOs and CAOs of various district coordination offices and local levels were found to have left their work stations wilfully, disrupting smooth service delivery to the public and service-seekers.
"It is notified that the DCOs and CAOs shall not leave their place of work without prior approval of this ministry. In case of failure to abide by this order, their leave or deputation will not be sanctioned latter," the circular said. The DCOs and CAOs have also been directed to inform the ministry about their attendance in the office where they have been posted. The CAOs are also tasked with handling the leave or deputation approval process of employees working in ward offices and service centres. "The employees are directed to perform their duties and responsibilities only from the office where they have been originally assigned," the ministry said.
Earlier, the DCOs and CAOs were directed to exercise their prescribed financial powers in an economic and transparent way. "No DCO or CAO will be allowed to make advance payment to the employees from expenditure headings, including social security allowance, in contravention of the existing laws. In case an advance payment is made to the employees, its detailed statement shall be submitted to the higher-up agency within the prescribed period," it said. Meanwhile, the local levels have been directed to distribute social security allowance to the beneficiaries only through banking channel in their jurisdictions where banks and financial institutions exist.
The MoFAGA also expressed concern about the delay on the part of some ward offices in submitting necessary documents to the concerned municipalities or rural municipalities for fund disbursement to implement various plans and programmes. The ministry warned that delay could result in accumulation of arrears in future and affect development activities.
A version of this article appears in the print on December 18, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
