KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to abolish 10 joint-secretary-level positions and significantly expand the number of districts headed by under-secretary-level Chief District Officers (CDOs) as part of a sweeping restructuring of Nepal’s district administration.

The changes, introduced through a new Organization and Management (O&M) survey, increase the number of districts led by under-secretary-level CDOs from 16 to 25, while removing joint-secretary quotas from districts where the higher-ranking posts had remained vacant for years.

The restructuring comes amid criticism that the ministry continued to maintain joint-secretary positions in several districts despite routinely appointing under-secretaries to perform the role of CDO.

Under the new structure, the joint-secretary quota has been removed from nine districts—Khotang, Bhojpur, Baitadi, Dadeldhura, Achham, Jumla, Jajarkot, Salyan, and Rolpa—where under-secretaries have long served as CDOs in practice.

Previously, under-secretary-level officials were designated as CDOs in 16 districts: Taplejung, Terhathum, Solukhumbu, Rasuwa, Eastern Rukum, Manang, Mustang, Dolpa, Mugu, Humla, Kalikot, Myagdi, Western Rukum, Bajura, Bajhang, and Darchula. The revised organizational structure expands that number to 25 districts, marking a significant shift in the ministry’s administrative hierarchy.

The overhaul also eliminates the joint-secretary position at Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa, replacing it with an under-secretary-level post.

According to the Guidelines for the Placement, Transfer or Deputation of Chief District Officers (Second Amendment, 2080), 61 districts were previously designated for joint-secretary-level CDOs, while only 16 were assigned to under-secretaries. The latest restructuring effectively redraws that balance by aligning official staffing with the realities of deployment.