Amended Civil Service Act in the offing: Reports

The Government has passed the Civil Service (Amendment) Ordinance, imposing ban on professional organizations in the civil service, reports Saturday said. Doctors, engineers and rangers, however, will be excused from such a ban.

Reports citing cabinet sources said the ordinance passed by a cabinet meeting on Wednesday is likely to receive the royal seal early next week.

The newly passed ordinance has made sweeping changes in the promotion procedures of high-ranking bureaucrats. "Consideration of seniority has been removed from the criteria," The Kathmandu Post quoted a cabinet source as saying, "Instead, leadership quality and work performance will be the sole criteria."

Though the existing Civil Service Act bars the government from keeping any civil servant in the “reserve pool” for more than a month, the ordinance advocates for provisions that pave way for creation of new secretary-level post if any secretary is transferred to the reserve pool. This provision will also legitimise government's four-month-old decision to dump seven secretaries, who have been sent to the reserve pool, for an indefinite period, according to the daily.

"If a secretary is transferred to the reserve pool, the vacant seat will be filled by another secretary, unlike in the present system of deputing an officiating secretary," the report further quoted sources as saying.

As per new provisions, assistant-level employees i.e. peon, mukhiya, kharidar and subba will be hired on contract basis and those appointed after promulgation of the ordinance will not be entitled to pensions. They will receive an allowance on retirement.

The government has cancelled the special reservations announced by the previous government for women, Janajatis and Dalits in administrative service. The ousted Sher Bahadur Deuba government had decided to reserve 20 percent seats for women and 10 percent each for Janajatis and Dalits. nepalnews.com pd July 09 05