The Infrastructure Development Office was finally established in Salyan district a month ago. The government had arranged posts of 12 employees in the office which is responsible for the construction of various physical infrastructures. However, the office has not performed as effectively as expected—because the office only has five employees now.

The Social Development Office, which was established almost at the same time, is also in a similar state. Seven posts for employees had been managed in the office, but currently, the office is being run by a single employee.

“It has become difficult to perform even a simple task due to the shortage of employees. Should I stay in the office and perform administrative work or go to the field? I am in a tough situation,” said Bhupendra Jaishi, the only employee at the Social Development Office, which works in the field of education, youth, sports, women and children.

Various government offices, which had been dissolved with the implementation of federalism in 2017, have been re-established under new names lately by the provincial government. But the recently established offices have been unable to provide effective services to the people mainly due to the shortage of employees.

“We are doing our best to run operations smoothly, but we are being unable to perform as expected,” said Mahesh Acharya, an officer at the Agriculture Development Office in the district. According to him, even at his office, there are just seven employees of the total 16 posts allocated.

“We are unable to set up various sections in the office due to the shortage of employees,” said Acharya, adding that he had requested the authorities concerned to hire employees as per the posts allocated.

The provincial government admits its inability to mobilise employees required in various government offices in the districts.

Minister for Financial Affairs and Planning of Karnali Province Prakash Jwala, who was elected to the provincial assembly from Salyan, said that efforts were on to appoint technical employees on a contract basis. “Various offices under the provincial government have an acute shortage of employees as the federal government has not managed the employees timely. So the provincial government is planning to appoint the employees on a contract basis,” said Jwala, assuring that the problem would be solved soon—to some extent.