The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has issued a 24-hour directive to all the ministries to issue deputation letters to officials under them.

This notice follows government staff failing to report for duty in the provinces.

The directive warns action against government officials reluctant to be deputed at the provincial offices.

Its two months since the elections and a month after the provincial assemblies started work, but the departments cannot do routine work because of staff do not report.

PMO Secretary Khag Raj Baral said, “We have strongly urged to depute staff without excuses.” The PMO had to intervene after the frequent request from the Ministry of General Administration for last two months were left largely unaddressed. Out of 1,500 government officials immediately needed, around half have reached to their duty stations so far.

The directive does not cover local governments where the situation is equally grim.

Government officials say deploying staff has become difficult due to the lack of legal provisions to guide the process. Though the Civil Servants Deployment Act is in force, it has not been implemented due to the lack of regulation. The endorsement of regulation has been delayed as the trade unions affiliated to the different parties are objecting the transfer of the government employee.

The government has mooted the option of voluntary retirement for those who do not wish to be deployed at the provincial or local level.