HoR passes Civil Service Bill, 2082; A dozen new provisions

Kathmandu, June 29: The lower House of the federal parliament, House of Representatives (HoR), passed the Federal Civil Service Bill, 2082, with a dozen new provisions on Sunday. The Bill was registered in the parliament one and a half years ago. 

The Bill has been passed with the provision of 2 years of cooling off. It is one of the significant features the Bill incorporated. As per the provision, civil servants are barred for two years after retirement from the job from getting public appointments- constitutional and diplomatic.

This provision had earlier created an intense debate even among the lawmakers and top bureaucrats, prompting bureaucrats to run from pillar to post to secure their interest to avoid cooling off. 

Since the registration of the Bill, it has witnessed debates in several other key points such as retirement age, lateral entry, entry age for men/women in civil service, cooling off, arrangement of additional secretary, and term of chief secretary.     

The current retirement age has been extended by two years, reaching 60. However, it will be enforced phase-wise. In the first year of the enactment, the civil servants will retire at the existing age limit- 58, while those to retire in the next fiscal year will be at 59 and those in the third fiscal year at 60.    

Similarly, the provision of an additional secretary is included in the Bill. The present provision of recruiting a Joint Secretary (gazetted first class) through free competition is deleted. The Bill has provided free competition entry up to the post of gazetted second class or undersecretary.     

The upper age limit for women to enter the civil service has been slashed by one year, now to 39 years.    

The State Affairs Committee of the parliament had held several rounds of debate on the pressing points of the Bill in a bid to fit the federal administration.     

The Bill will be forwarded to the upper House, the National Assembly.     

Once the National Assembly passes the Bill, it requires authentication from the President, which will be followed by publication in the Gazette.     

Those taking part in the Sunday discussion on the Bill in the HoR meeting were lawmakers Rekha Sharma, Prem Suwal, Prakash Jwala, Mahendra Bahdur Shahi, Janardan Sharma, Aman Lal Modi, Ranendra Baraili, Prabhu Sah, among others.     

Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Raj Kumar Gupta, had presented a proposal, seeking the passage of the Bill. The HoR will meet next on July 7. (RSS)