Agreement reached on including ‘cooling off period’ in Civil Service Bill

Kathmandu: The provision for a ‘cooling-off period’ is to be included in the Civil Service Bill. The Legislation Management Committee of the National Assembly today decided to include this provision in the bill.

This provision had reached the peak of controversy after the House of Representatives passed the bill without including the cooling off period. During the discussion on the Federal Civil Service Bill, 2080 in the committee, a decision has been made to incorporate the provision of a cooling-off period of two years.

The provision included in the bill states that a civil servant or other government employee who has resigned or retired from service shall not be eligible for appointment to any constitutional or government position until two years have elapsed from the date of their retirement.

Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Bhagawati Neupane said that this issue should be taken ahead in a positive manner.

‘This bill contains important issues besides the cooling-off period. It includes matters related to the appointment, transfer, and management of civil servants. Now, it has become established that the Civil Service Bill must include provisions for the cooling-off period. It is essential to reach a conclusion with positive thinking. If someone feels wronged or if it does not work out in practice, it can be corrected and amended. Therefore, this bill must be passed at the soonest by the committee and the National Assembly,’ she said.

The MPs in the committee have agreed to the provision of cooling-off period that applies to high ranking Gazetted-level civil servants (the chief secretary, secretaries, joint-secretaries), but not to employees below that rank. Committee Chair Tulasa Kumari Dahal instructed the committee secretariat to draft the report by writing in proper wording the agreed upon provisions.

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