KATHMANDU: Saroj Guragain, the Chief Administrative Officer of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), officially retired on Thursday upon reaching the mandatory retirement age, bringing an end to more than three decades of public service.
Guragain had assumed office as KMC’s Chief Administrative Officer on September 23, 2024, following a Cabinet decision made on September 12, 2024. The metropolitan city organized a farewell ceremony in his honor.
The event was attended by Acting Mayor Sunita Dangol, KMC spokesperson Nabin Manandhar, executive members, department heads and senior officials.
Speaking at the ceremony, Acting Mayor Dangol praised Guragain’s administrative leadership, saying his efforts to strengthen cooperation, coordination and coexistence among municipal employees, elected representatives and partner agencies would be remembered by the metropolis.
“Positions are temporary, but public service is permanent,” Dangol said, expressing confidence that Guragain would continue contributing to society even after retirement.
KMC noted that Guragain is the first Chief Administrative Officer in the metropolitan city’s history to retire while serving in the post.
Governance Committee Coordinator Khyam Raj Tiwari said Guragain’s knowledge, skills and experience would continue to benefit the institutional development of the metropolis.
Addressing the gathering, Guragain described his tenure at Kathmandu Metropolitan City as the most memorable period of his 32-and-a-half-year civil service career. He said the ups and downs of administrative service are a natural part of a bureaucrat’s professional life and that he had always accepted them with composure.
Guragain joined Nepal’s federal civil service as a Section Officer on January 2, 1995, and spent the majority of his career in local governance. He served for nearly 21 years in local government and about two years at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration.
Before joining Kathmandu Metropolitan City, he spent nearly seven years under the Ministry of Industry and most recently served as chief of the Samriddhi Project under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies. He also briefly served as a Chief District Officer under the Ministry of Home Affairs for around four months.
