Govt set to fill only 4 secy positions

KATHMANDU, Jan 10: Even as nine secretary positions are lying vacant in bureaucracy, the government is all set to fill only four posts this time -- a move described by civil servants as being marred by "favoritism" by political figures.



Contrary to the letter dispatched by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) one month back notifying all concerned that nine positions of secretaries lay vacant, a meeting of the five-member Secretary Promotion Committee (SPC) that has been scheduled for January 11 is all set to recommend filling of only four posts.[break]



The SPC chaired by member of the Public Service Commission (PSC), Professor Krishna Pokharel, comprises PSC member Tika Dutta Niraula, Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire, Secretary at the Ministry of General Administration Balananda Paudel and one expert appointed by the PSC as members.



"We received authentic information that the committee´s Tuesday meeting is going to recommend filling only four posts out of the nine," a joint secretary told Republica. "This decision will be a huge setback for civil servants having possibilities of growth."



Said another joint secretary, "It is a ploy to promote and pick henchmen at the behest of political figures and bar merit-based people. It is marred by favoritism."



The committee promotes and picks secretaries only two times a year: January and June. Being dumped this time means they will have to wait for another six months or so with their growth "impeded".



As per Civil Service Act, recommendations must be made three times the number of vacant positions, which implies that 12 names must be recommended for four positions.



"If the committee recommends names of 27 joint secretaries for filling all nine posts, merit-based officers´ place will be ensured," explained a civil servant. "This will ultimately create a greater mass wherein they fear that their ill-intentions to promote and pick their yes-men will be foiled."



At present, positions of secretaries are lying vacant at eastern, central, mid-western and far-western regional administrative offices; Ministry of Local Development, National Planning Commission, OPMCM, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Energy.



Asked to comment, MoGA secretary Paudel who is also the member-secretary to the committee admitted that SPC´s Tuesday meet will recommend names of joint secretaries to fill in only four posts. He, however, justified that the decision will be based on the government´s policy to appoint one secretary in one government body.



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