The physical structures of the Provincial Assembly Secretariat, Assembly Hall, and the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers are still in a state of disrepair due to arson and vandalism during the Gen-G movement. Although reconstruction of the partial damage is underway, the government has not yet returned to normal.
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The Koshi provincial government has been in a state of near-inactivity since the Gen-G protests of Bhadra 23 and 24.
The provincial assembly has been in a state of disarray for about three months due to political pressure after the movement, the federal government's directives on spending cuts, and internal power struggles. The physical structure is still in a state of disarray due to the arson and vandalism that occurred at the provincial assembly secretariat, assembly hall, and the offices of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers during the movement. The reconstruction of the partial damage to the offices of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers is ongoing. However, the government's efficiency has not yet returned to normal.
According to Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki's public relations officer, Ravi Khanal, after the movement, the government focused more on natural disaster management. 'The disaster struck immediately after the Gen-G movement, we became more active.' So far, not much concrete work has been able to move forward,' he said.
Chief Minister Karki has been busy in the federal capital for some time after becoming a candidate for the post of secretary in the 11th National Convention of the UML. Along with him, some ministers of the province and most of the UML MPs are in Kathmandu, making the provincial government appear even more inactive.
Since the movement, the government has not been able to take any concrete policy decisions other than relief and reconstruction during disasters. Important laws including the Dalit Act are still stuck in drafts. A Dalit activist alleges that the government is not serious about passing those laws. ‘They are getting their salaries and allowances, but the work does not seem to have been broken even a little,’ he alleged.
The seventh session of the provincial assembly ended on Asoj 10. Since then, due to the arson during the Gen-G movement, the ‘conflict’ between the union and the province, and the indecisiveness of the leadership, the provincial assembly has not been able to meet effectively for three months. The provincial government has been criticized for becoming inactive as its core responsibilities such as lawmaking, policy discussions, and budget implementation have stalled.
Legally, there is a provision that the provincial assembly should be convened within 6 months. Regarding the failure to convene the session even after three months, Dilli Acharya, Deputy Secretary of Law of the Provincial Assembly, says, ‘There is no assembly hall to hold the meeting due to major damage to the physical infrastructure. We have moved to a new building. The meeting will be possible only after the infrastructure is repaired.’ The vegetable market in Katahari is being prepared as the provincial assembly. For which, although the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure has taken the responsibility of maintenance and upkeep, work has not started yet.
The Kosi government had brought a budget of 35 billion 779 million rupees for the current fiscal year. Only 4 billion 480 million 2887 thousand rupees have been spent till Mangsir.
Personal secretary remains the same, service facilities have been stopped.
Although the federal government has decided to remove the schedule related to MPs' personal secretaries (personal assistants) in line with the policy of economic austerity, reduce the secretariats of the Chief Minister and ministers, and reduce the number of advisors, its impact has not been seen in Kosi Province. The personal secretaries in the province are still the same.
After the appointment letters of the personal secretaries were burned during the movement, those details have been requested again. However, their salaries for the months of Kartik and Mangsir have been stopped. 'We got the salary for Asoj and it was considered Dashain,' said the family of a Congress MP, 'We have not received the salary since then.'
There are currently 93 MPs in Kosi Province. Of these, 92 MPs still have their personal secretaries and have received their salaries and benefits up to Asoj. Only Khinu Langwa, an MP from the Unified Socialist Party, has removed her personal secretary. Most MPs' personal There are husbands, sons, brothers, nephews and close relatives.
According to the Provincial Assembly Secretariat, even if the federal government removes the schedule, there is no way to remove the personal secretary or reduce the facilities until the provincial law is amended. Information Officer Niroj Dhakal says, ‘The current system will remain the same until the provincial law is amended. There is a legal basis for personal secretaries to receive regular services and facilities.’
But in practice, the administrative mechanism is in a dilemma. After the second written directive from the federal government, the provincial government has ‘held’ the salaries for Kartik and Mangsir. This has put the personal secretaries in an uncertain situation of not receiving their salaries even though they are working. The federal government had issued a 12-point circular on Asoj 7 to cut expenses. After the provincial government ignored it, a letter was sent again on Kartik 18 with a request. The provincial administration hesitated after this second letter.
Chief Minister Karki has been opposing the federal directive, calling it a ‘vertical interference’ in the jurisdiction of the province. He argues that the federal government should not interfere in the affairs of the province and that the province should run according to its own laws. He had publicly criticized the federal decision, saying, ‘You cannot go to someone else’s house and arrange farming and behavior.’ But amid political opposition, the administrative leadership does not seem ready to take the risk of violating the federal directive. Acharya, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Assembly Law, says that the secretariat is under moral pressure after repeated requests. He said that the opinion of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning has been sought after the uncertainty over whether or not to pay salaries has increased. According to Koshhari Niraula, Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning, the payment process has been stopped due to the circular of the federal Ministry of Finance. ‘We are also in favor of cutting unnecessary expenses and being frugal.’ But the federal directive has added legal complexity,’ he said.
This is where the issue of ambiguity is currently stuck waiting for a legal opinion. Unable to decide whether to follow the federal directive or proceed according to the provincial law, the Ministry has sought an opinion from the Office of the Chief Justice. Although the file was sent on November 23, there has been no response so far.
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