KATHMANDU, April 23: Tenure period for secretaries and the chief secretary in the civil service are set to be reduced as per a draft report prepared by Ramhari Khatiwada under the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee.
The report proposes reducing the tenure of the chief secretary from the current three years to two, and the tenure of secretaries from five years to four. The draft is part of the Federal Civil Service Bill currently under parliamentary review.
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An additional post of 'Additional Secretary' is also being introduced between the existing ranks of secretary and joint secretary. Critics, including some lawmakers, have alleged that this position was added under pressure from the Nepali Congress (NC) to serve bureaucratic interests without clear justification. They warn that the new rank could place extra financial strain on the state.
The committee has also proposed that government employees cannot be appointed to constitutional or other official posts within a year of retirement. This aims to discourage the growing trend of secretaries currying favor with political leaders in hopes of swift post-retirement appointments.
While the ruling UML party has pushed to remove the proposed one-year cooling-off period, the opposition Maoist Centre has suggested extending it to two years. Many bureaucrats have also opposed the cooling-off requirement.
The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee is expected to pass the bill in Wednesday's meeting.
