Probing The Income

NEPALESE people tired of witnessing too many rags-to-riches happenings among the politicians and public servants of the nation are pinning much hope on the newly-formed probe panel. There is a complete consensus among all sections of the Nepalese society that one of the chief devils eating into the vitals of this nation is corruption. With graft-taking a norm and public coffers routinely plundered with complete impunity since always, even a semblance of good governance has had difficulty taking roots. Governments and those who form them have for years been talking of ridding the country of corruption. All politicians agree that something has to be done about it. But the fact of the matter remains that over the years very little has been achieved in earnestly addressing the problem. The public continues to see the tentacles of corruption soaking what little resources we have. The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), for lack of enough teeth and for lack of enough will, has not made much dent on this problem. In recent times, though, it has woken up and tried to take some initiatives, but clearly its efforts so far have not resulted in making a difference, given the sheer scale and magnitude of the problem. It may get a shot-in-the-arm if the present government’s commitment to give the commission more powers gets translated into action. It is against this background that the Judicial Commission for Investigation of Property, headed by Bhairav Prasad Lamsal, is looked at by the public as a panel that may finally give some knocks to this gargantuan problem. The government deserves credit for forming such a high-level panel.

Chairman Lamsal told mediapeople after being sworn in on Monday how his panel intends to go about the task. The panel’s first task was to collect statements on properties registered in the names of those falling under the already set criteria and their families and this would mark the start of the commission’s work. Then, on the basis of the powers given by Enquiry Commission Act, the commission would start investigation, prepare a list of those whose property statements do not mention reasonable sources and submit a report to the government along with the commission’s opinions. One concern expressed in some quarters is whether the panel can finish the task within the six months that it has been given. Chairman Lamsal was unambiguous in saying that the commission would complete the task entrusted to it within the stipulated time. If the panel can come out with a detailed report on those who have amassed wealth disproportionate to their legal sources of income in six months’ time, it will have done a great service to the nation. Then, of course, what governmental actions would follow these revelations would truly determine whether incidences of corruption become less and less. For now, everybody should cooperate with the commission as it goes about trying to probe the dirty income secrets.

Boosting The Morale

FIVE civil servants have been honoured with Outstanding Civil Service Award and 12 others with Civil Service Award, which carry a purse of one hundred thousand and fifty thousand rupees respectively. Giving away the awards to the recipients at a function in Lalitpur the other day, Minister for General Administration Khem Raj Bhatta Mayalu stressed the need for all civil service employees to work honestly with a sense of responsibility to the country and the people. The significance of the civil servants is indeed very high in that they have a great role to play in the day to day affairs of a nation. Bureaucracy that helps the government in executing national plans and policies functions as an alternative government when there is political crisis in the country. It is the institution that remains unchanged even if there is a political change in the helm of affairs or change in the government. And without skilled and honest individuals, the institutions might not function as expected.

In this regard, boosting the morale of the civil servants for better performance of their respective responsibilities and duties is absolutely indispensable. And the distribution of the awards to the best government employees of the year comes as a positive step towards this end. As Minister Mayalu pointed out at the award distribution ceremony, this not only encourages the civil servants to be responsible and honest in what they are entrusted with but also makes them more aware of their duties to the country and the countrymen. However, while rewarding the civil servants for their excellent performance rendered for the welfare of the people and the country as a whole, we must not forget to punish those who have been black sheep in the country’s civil service. Many administrators and clerks are reported to have been involved in malpractice like financial irregularities and abuse of authority. Similarly, many of them have reportedly possessed fake certificates, thereby preventing the genuine and skilled persons from providing services to the country. Therefore, there must be a mechanism of carrot and stick in order to bring about unequivocal reforms in the country’s civil service.