Along with the instructions given to the ministers and the provincial assembly secretariat, Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya has also removed six advisors and experts from his secretariat.
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Following the directives of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the personal secretary of the Lumbini Provincial Assembly member has been suspended. The Provincial Assembly Secretariat has informed the Provincial Assembly members about the suspension of their salaries and other benefits.
The federal government led by Sushila Karki, in a decision to cut expenses and save money, had made arrangements for the Chief Minister to have a secretariat of three people in the province and for ministers to have only one personal secretary.
As per the directives of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Lumbini Chief Secretary Baburam Adhikari had directed to reduce the number of ministers' private secretariats in the province and to remove the posts of personal secretaries kept for the convenience of provincial assembly members.
Along with the directives given to the ministers and provincial assembly secretariats, Chief Minister Chetnarayan Acharya has also removed six advisors and experts from his secretariat. Earlier, his secretariat had 14 members.
Durlabh Kumar Pun, Secretary of the Provincial Assembly Secretariat, said that the salaries of 71 personal secretaries appointed by the Chief Minister's Office on the recommendation of provincial assembly members have been withheld. There are currently 86 provincial assembly members in the 87-member provincial assembly.
After Sarita Pun, who was elected from the proportional quota of the UML, died on Bhadra 14, the post of her personal secretary also fell vacant. Since Neelam Paswan was recently elected from the Janmat Party through the proportional list, she has not appointed a personal secretary.
Similarly, 12 ministers including the Chief Minister, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Provincial Assembly also have the facility to have a personal secretary. Secretary Pun said that apart from them, the facility of 71 others has been stopped since Asoj as per the circular of the federal government.
‘According to the circular of the federal government and the directives of the provincial government, the salary facility for the month of Asoj has been stopped,’ he said, ‘But according to the law made by the provincial assembly, the facility to have a personal secretary for the provincial assembly members remains the same.’
He said that there is a possibility of getting the facility if the Office of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers decides. The meeting of the provincial affairs and law committee of the province held on Sunday also held that the federal government’s circular is against the constitution as the provincial government and provincial assembly members are autonomous. The meeting also requested not to violate the privileges of the Lumbini Provincial Assembly.
The Lumbini Provincial Assembly has made its own law on the salaries, allowances and facilities of MPs. The Provincial Assembly has made and implemented separate laws for the services and facilities of local level people's representatives including Provincial Assembly members, Chief Ministers, Ministers, Speakers, Deputy Speakers.
The personal secretary of the Provincial Assembly member used to receive a monthly salary of Rs 34,730, equivalent to that of a Nayab Subba. Most Provincial Assembly members had appointed their wives, husbands, children, relatives or workers.
The personal secretaries of Provincial Assembly members alone used to cost Rs 2,465,830 per month. The annual expenditure is more than Rs 29,589,000.
