Govt asks PSC to delay vacancy announcements

Published On: October 15, 2018 05:30 AM NPT

KATHMANDU, Oct 15: Amid delay in the adjustment of civil servants in the absence of Federal Civil Service Act, the government has directed the Public Service Commission (PSC) not to announce fresh vacancies for civil servants for the next two months.

A cabinet meeting held on Sunday made a decision to this effect, according to Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali. The decision is set to affect the annual calendar of the PSC, which conducts examinations to recruit civil servants on a merit basis.

Minister for Local Development and General Administration Lal Babu Pandit said, “We are currently working to complete the adjustment of civil servants in federal, provincial and local governments by mid-December. Fresh vacancies shall be announced only after this process is over,” Minister Pandit told Republica.

PSC calendar of each new year begins from mid-October. Normally, the PSC would start announcing vacancies for joint secretaries and under secretaries in mid-October and section officers from mid-November. Vacancies for various non-gazetted positions would be announced in the following months.

The decision of the government to ask the PSC not to announce fresh vacancies is also set to affect the civil service promotions. The deferral of the recruitment process is equally likely to affect service delivery at the local level bodies in lack of staffers.

Government decision to defer recruitment process of civil servants comes in the wake of inordinate delay to pass the Federal Civil Service Act, which is necessary for the adjustment of civil servants in federal, provincial and local governments.

As per an Organization and Management (O&M) Survey conducted by the government, there will be a total 45,000 civil servants under the federal government, 21,000 under the provincial government and 57,000 under the local governments. There are concerns that a large number of unnecessary civil servants are being proposed under the federal government, largely due to the vested interest of a section of 'influential' civil servants.

The cabinet meeting on Sunday also decided to form a directorate committee under Minister for Education Giriraj Mani Pokharel to recommend what kinds of human resources are needed for Nepal in the days to come. The committee has asked to recommend within six months as to how much human resources in medicine, engineering and commerce are required and what types of human resources are needed for the country in the days ahead.

According to Minister Gyawali, the government has also directed medical colleges not to hike fees for medical education this year. They have to abide by the fee structure determined earlier by a government taskforce.

The cabinet meeting has also decided to relocate the National Library, Pulchowk to the building of the Public Administration Campus at Jamal. The building of National Library in Pulchowk was badly damaged in the 2015 earthquakes.

Among other things, the cabinet meeting has directed ministries concerned to formulate necessary legislations to operate trains on the Janakpur-Jayanagar route with Nepali flags on then. The railway is currently under construction with Indian assistance.