Growing reports indicate that administrative officers within local bodies are resisting transfers to retain positions that facilitate financial and operational “set-ups” for illicit gains.

Local officials say officers in some municipalities avoid transfers because of lucrative networks, commissions on construction projects and authority to negotiate benefits.

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

Anitakumari Yadav, deputy head of Samsi Rural Municipality, points out the problem: “These officers rarely go to the office, and when they do, it is only for a few hours. Complaints from local representatives are met with intimidation. Even after transfers, they often return, increasing friction.”

Municipalities in Madhesh province are headed by MPs as few officers want 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 posts such as Hansapur has been blocked by representatives who cite his past involvement in alleged irregularities and conflicts over budgetary control.

Thakur’s refusal to transfer despite multiple orders from the Federal Affairs Ministry indicates the potential for officers to manipulate bureaucratic systems for personal gain. In Hansapur and Kamala, officials protested Thakur’s reappointment because of earlier disruptions and alleged budget irregularities.

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

Yadav reports further frustration as Mishra is still eyeing a reinstatement in Samsi, despite the ministry appointing Manoj Kumar Sah in August 2024. The failure to return Mishra highlights wider governance issues within the local administrative bodies, underscoring questioning the effectiveness of transfer policies amid entrenched corruption networks. .