Increasing reports indicate that administrative officers within local bodies are resisting transfers to retain positions that facilitate financial and operational ‘settings’ for illegal earnings.

Local representatives claim that officers in certain municipalities avoid transfers due to lucrative networks, commissions on construction projects, and the authority to negotiate benefits.

Concerns have grown over relationships between these officers and suppliers, which allegedly create personal gain. Some officers, long stationed in the same municipality, establish extensive commission networks and exploit weaknesses within local leadership, leading to frequent cases of corruption.

Anitakumari Yadav, Deputy Chief of Samsi Rural Municipality, highlights the issue: “These officers rarely attend office, and when they do, it’s only for a few hours. Complaints from local representatives are met with intimidation. Even after transfers, they often return, increasing friction.”

Municipalities across Madhesh Province are reportedly run by deputies as few officers wish to transfer there. For example, Administrative Officer Subodh Thakur was recently transferred to Gaushala Municipality after being transferred three times in five months. His return to former positions, such as Hansapur, has been blocked by representatives citing his past involvement in alleged irregularities and conflicts over budgetary control.

Thakur’s refusal to transfer, despite multiple orders from the Ministry of Federal Affairs, points to the potential for officers to manipulate bureaucratic systems for personal benefit. In Hansapur and Kamala, officials protested Thakur’s re-appointment due to previous disruptions and alleged budgetary misconduct.

Similarly, Administrative Officer Ganeshchandra Mishra, despite several transfers since his December 2021 appointment to Samsi Rural Municipality, has persistently returned to his post. Local representatives claim he leverages financial influence over the ministry and courts to avoid relocation. Even when his attendance was marked irregular, Mishra allegedly worked remotely from Janakpur, demanding that attendance records be sent to him.

Yadav reports further frustration as Mishra pursues yet another reinstatement in Samsi despite the Ministry appointing Manoj Kumar Sah in August 2024. The pushback against Mishra’s return underscores the broader governance issues within local administrative bodies, calling into question the effectiveness of transfer policies amid entrenched corruption networks.