KATHMANDU, April 4: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) employees on Thursday aided Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Saroj Guragain in entering his office by breaking the lock on his office door. This came after an informal meeting attended by Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol and several ward chairs and executive members.
CAO Guragain returned to his office on Thursday after an absence of 3 months and 14 days. During the meeting, Deputy Mayor Dangol inquired of City Police Chief Raju Pandey whether the lock had been placed under a written or verbal order. Pandey confirmed that the lock had been imposed based on a verbal instruction.
In light of this response, employees became more upset and proceeded to escort Guragain to his office. Once inside, Guragain marked his attendance.
Earlier, in a meeting with Guragain, Deputy Mayor Dangol had urged Mayor Balendra Shah to stop issuing directives from his office and instead come to the field to address the issues at hand.
A month ago, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration had issued a letter instructing the KMC administration to ensure Guragain could return to work. Despite this, Mayor Shah insisted on appointing a different CAO.
Blocked from entering his office, Guragain had submitted an appeal to the MoFAGA, requesting a conducive environment to resume his work. The MoFAGA subsequently directed the KMC to facilitate the resumption of his work by ensuring the work environment is conducive."
KMC Mayor Shah avoids addressing CAO Guragain in Municipal Asse...
Despite Mayor Shah’s deployment of municipal police to block his entry, Guragain was able to bypass the obstruction with the support of employees and gain access to the office.
However, another obstacle awaited him—the door to his office was locked. When employees asked the police for the key, they were told that the lock had been placed on the mayor’s orders and the key was with him.
With Guragain still unable to access his office, Deputy Mayor Dangol convened a meeting with ward chairs, executive members and senior officials. During the meeting, ward chairs voiced their dissatisfaction, criticizing Mayor Shah for focusing on theatrics rather than addressing the core issues.
Once the meeting decided to resume normal operations, Guragain was able to mark his attendance. Employee frustration towards Mayor Shah had reached a boiling point, with many accusing him of blocking the CAO's office entry out of personal ego and even withholding his salary for an extended period.
When Guragain entered the office, a large group of employees gathered to chant slogans against Mayor Shah. With employee support, Guragain managed to break through the municipal police blockade, heightening tensions at the Kamaladi city office.
Previously, Mayor Shah had set up an investigation committee to look into Guragain's approval of a building blueprint for the Kathmandu Tower at the old bus park, claiming it was approved without the required procedures. As a result, Shah had prevented Guragain from entering the office since December 23, 2024.
Guragain had been suspended on December 29, 2024 on charge of approving a building project for the Kathmandu Tower, which was originally planned as a 12-story structure but later authorized for 19 stories, leading to his suspension and a ban on his office attendance.
Party-affiliated activists brought person involved in corruption to office: Balen’s Secretariat
The Secretariat of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Mayor Balen Shah has accused the government of showing arrogance by allowing a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) implicated in corruption to return to the office.
Bhup Dev Shah, personal secretary to Mayor Balen, stated that party-affiliated activists had facilitated the CAO's return to the office. "Party-affiliated activists have brought a person involved in corruption back to the office. If the CAO is found guilty, those who facilitated his return must also be held accountable. We have never prevented the CAO from entering the office," he told media persons.
Shah further claimed that the government's decision to reinstate the CAO was a diversionary tactic to deflect attention from the violent protests on March 27. "The government's action to bring the CAO back was meant to shift focus away from the movement on Chait 15," he added.
CAO Guragain, suspended by the KMC, reported to the office on Thursday after being absent for three months and 14 days. The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration had earlier instructed the KMC to facilitate his return to work, leading to his reentry after a month.
However, the Metropolitan Police attempted to block his entry. Guragain was able to enter with the support of city employees and elected representatives.
Guragain had been suspended on December 29, 2024 on charge of approving a building project for the Kathmandu Tower, which was originally planned as a 12-story structure but later authorized for 19 stories, leading to his suspension and a ban on his office attendance.
