CIAA directs PM's office over ministerial aides

KATHMANDU, Sept 11: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has directed the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) and all the government secretaries to immediately formulate and implement directives determining the numbers, job nature and responsibilities of and facilities for personal secretaries, advisors and assistants to ministers.

Dispatching letters to the OPMCM, Chief Secretary Madhav Ghimire and all the secretaries recently, the CIAA cautioned them not to allow ministers to appoint personal aides in their own interests. [break]

The CIAA´s decision comes at a time of reports in media that ministers have long been appointing half a dozen, a dozen and even more aides. According to CIAA Secretary Bhagwati Kafle, the commission issued instructions to curb wanton irregularities perpetrated by political appointees over pay and perks.

"There have long been complaints that ministers appoint more than a dozen personal secretaries, advisors and assistants," he said, adding, "Ministerial aides are found to have manipulated ministry letter pads, vehicles, fuel and other facilities and this has been contributing to graft within the ministries."

For lack of clear criteria to date, ministers appoint party cadres as assistants or advisors on ad hoc basis.

Examples of multiple aides appointed by past ministers are rife. According to the CIAA source, former industry minister Mahendra Yadav is found to have appointed 20 aides, former health minister Umakanta Jha 11aides, former forest minister Bhanu Bhakta Joshi in the Jhalanath Khanal government appointed 17 assistants and former minister for physical planning and works Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar had nine personal aides while other ministers kept the names and number of their assistants secret.

The commission, in its letter, also asked government secretaries to formulate and implement a code of conduct for ministerial aides. According to the CIAA decision, ministries are to formulate directives and subsequently a code of conduct specifying what aides can and cannot do.

The anti-graft body has asked the secretaries to determine the number of ministerial aides and their qualifications .

Who had how many

Mahendra Yadav -- 20 personal aides

Bhanubhakta Joshi -- 17 personal aides

Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar -- 9 personal aides

The CIAA decision paper states that ministerial aides were found to have not only misused letter pads and vehicles but also pressured canteen operators to provide them free fare and government officials to appoint relatives to temporary positions, besides seeking financial assistance through misuse of the ministers´ names.

"We have evidence that some ministers appointed more than a dozen personal secretaries at taxpayer´s expense," said Secretary Kafle, adding, "Ministers´ aides shouldn´t be allowed to carry out their activities from the respective ministries but they can assist ministers from the latter´s residences." Secretary Kafle said that the commission will monitor whether its instructions are being implemented.