Khatiwada: Civil Service Bill must satisfy all levels before passing
Khatiwada affirmed that the committee remains firm on the decisions made and is committed to bringing the bill to the Parliament as soon as possible.
KATHMANDU: Ramhari Khatiwada, President of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, has emphasized that the Civil Service Bill cannot be passed unless it addresses the concerns of employees from the office assistants up to the Chief Secretary.
In a discussion with journalists at Singha Durbar, Khatiwada stated that the bill must satisfy all civil servants—from zero-level office assistants to 15th-level employees, including the Chief Secretary—before it can move forward.
On Thursday, a delegation led by Chief Secretary Eknarayan Aryal and the Federal Parliament Secretariat’s Secretary-General met with National Assembly Chairpersons Devaraj Ghimire and Narayan Prasad Dahal to demand the removal of the cooling-off period proposed in the Civil Service Bill.
Commenting on the meeting, Khatiwada described the Civil Service Bill as akin to a constitution for employees. He noted that conflicts of interest often force Chief Secretaries and other secretaries to overturn decisions they have made themselves.
Khatiwada explained that the cooling-off period does not imply distrust towards any civil servant. Instead, it allows officials who have completed 30 years of service to take a two-year rest before returning to government work if needed.
The cooling-off period was introduced to end practices where political leaders exploit bureaucrats for personal gain.
Khatiwada affirmed that the committee remains firm on the decisions made and is committed to bringing the bill to the Parliament as soon as possible.
