Parliamentary Committee endorses Federal Civil Service Bill

Kathmandu: The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives (HoR) has agreed to set 60 as the retirement age in the civil service. It has also endorsed provisions for appointing an additional secretary and introducing a two-year cooling-off period.

According to Committee Secretary Suraj Kumar Dura, the Committee, in its meeting today, endorsed the Bill that had been under discussion for a long time. The cooling-off period refers to the mandatory waiting time a retired civil servant must observe before taking up another official role. Previously, a one-year period had been proposed.

The newly proposed Bill also outlines that there will be 15 levels within the civil service hierarchy.

During discussions on the Bill, Committee members emphasized that no measure should be taken that could undermine the dignity and credibility of the civil service. They supported the government proposal to extend the cooling-off period to two years.

Committee member Ashok Kumar Rai said that the draft Bill had already undergone comprehensive discussions, and further deliberation would only create unnecessary confusion. He stressed that the government’s proposal for a two-year cooling-off period should not be misunderstood and called for some flexibility regarding the retirement age of 60.

He also criticized the role of trade unions, accusing them of undermining civil service administration and obstructing its impartial functioning. He urgently called for these issues to be addressed.