KATHMANDU, April 19: The passage of the Federal Civil Service Bill, which outlines the formation, operation, and terms of service of the federal civil service, continues to face delays in the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives.
Although the sub-committee under the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee submitted its report on April 2, discussions during Friday’s meeting revealed disagreements on several key provisions, even among government officials.
The committee has yet to make decisions on whether to allow civil servants to form political trade unions and whether to appoint veterinary doctors at the eighth level. While the sub-committee has agreed on a one-year “cooling period” before retired civil servants can take up government or constitutional posts, the full committee has not yet endorsed this provision.
Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal objected to the proposed promotion of senior joint secretaries to the position of additional secretaries, arguing that it would place an unnecessary financial burden on the state.
During the committee meeting, civil servants affiliated with various trade unions surrounded the committee hall and submitted an 11-point memorandum to Committee Chairperson Ramhari Khatiwada, demanding that political trade unions not be abolished.
Bill bars local units from recruiting civil servants
The committee had summoned Chief Secretary Aryal and Finance Secretary Ghanshyam Upadhyaya for consultations. During the discussion, Secretary Upadhyaya said the civil service should not be viewed as a job creation platform for youths. He also advocated for implementing the proposed retirement age of 60 all at once. However, the sub-committee has suggested a phased approach: 58 years in the first year, 59 in the second, and 60 in the third.
According to the sub-committee's report, retired civil servants will not be eligible for appointment to any constitutional or governmental post for one year after retirement. However, diplomatic appointments made by the government and judicial appointments recommended by the Judicial Council would be allowed.
The bill proposes a new structure within the federal civil service: Senior Joint Secretary (Additional Secretary) at Level 13, Secretary at Level 14, and Chief Secretary at Level 15. The government must determine and approve the number of Level 13 positions within three months of the bill’s enactment.
The tenure of officers at these top levels has also been revised. Chief Secretaries at Level 15 can serve for two years (previously three), and Secretaries at Level 14 can serve for four years (previously five). No fixed tenure has been set for Level 13 Additional Secretaries, as this category will include senior joint secretaries promoted to that rank.
The bill sets the Section Officer (Gazetted Third Class) at Level 7. The recruitment ratio for this post will be 60 percent open competition, 10 percent through inter-level competition, and 30 percent through promotion. Previously, the bill proposed a 65 percent open, 10 percent inter-level, and 25 percent promotion distribution.
For the Undersecretary (Gazetted First Class) at Level 11, the recruitment ratio will be 85 percent through promotion and 15 percent through inter-level competition. The earlier version of the bill had proposed 80 percent promotion, 10 percent inter-level, and 10 percent open competition.
A provision in the bill also states that computer operators currently at the fifth level or those promoted to the sixth level will not be eligible for promotion to Level 7 officer positions in the administrative service, even if they meet the academic and service requirements.
The entry age for civil service has been increased to 35 years for men and 39 years for women. The previous bill had set the age limits at 32 and 37 respectively. The bill also retains the provisions under the Parliament Secretariat and Nepal Health Service as part of the federal civil service structure.
Officers up to the level of Under Secretary will be transferred once a year according to a rotation schedule. Staff working in ‘Category A’ regions will be transferred to ‘Category D’ areas, and vice versa, with a cycle through all four geographic classifications (A, B, C, D).
The bill specifies that civil servants charged in court will not be suspended unless the charge involves an offense that mandates automatic suspension under existing laws. If the court grants bail or release on a regular date, the official will not be suspended.
Retired civil servants or those receiving pensions who are appointed to any state-benefiting positions will have to choose between receiving the post’s salary or the pension, not both. If any official is found to have received both, the excess amount will be recovered as government dues.
