The Chief Secretary and Secretaries are trying their best to put provisions that suit their interests in the Civil Bill. In particular, they are insisting on keeping provisions in the bill that will make it easier to increase the service period and take political appointments after retirement.
In Friday's meeting of State Order and Good Governance Committee, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal argued that there had already been enough discussion with political parties, leaders and experts while bringing the bill and said that the individual statements of MPs have no meaning . "If there is one opinion institutionally and another opinion personally, I have nothing to say, but I have to defend as the chief secretary, the bill brought by the government should be passed," he said.
Chief Secretary Aryal emphasized that there should not be a 'cooling period' provision to prevent civil servants from being appointed for a certain period after retirement. "It creates a gap between politics and administration," he said. How many years can a political person be an ambassador after leaving politics? What will happen to other constitutional bodies? Why discriminate only civil servants?' He also warned that the performance of the employees will be affected by the 'cooling period'.
There was no provision regarding 'cooling period' in the bill brought by the government. The parliamentary sub-committee has added a provision of 'cooling period' for employees in the bill. Chief Secretary Aryal was of the view that although some of the issues put in the bill by the parliamentarians could be included, the bill introduced by the government should be passed. He also said that the matter of trade union should be discussed with the top leadership of the government and the party rather than MPs.
Currently, the retirement age of civil servants is 58 years, but the bill has kept it at 60 years . The chief secretary and secretaries demand that this provision be applied at once. Chief Secretary Aryal, who is going to retire next August, will remain in office for two more years if the age limit is applied once. That is why he is saying that the age limit of 60 years should be applied at once with the argument related to the economic condition of the country. Finance Secretary Ghanshyam Upadhyay also said that it would be appropriate to impose a 60-year retirement system at once. Public service is not a big job market. The number of people coming to civil services is not very big in a year . If we go to the age limit of 60 years immediately, there will be a saving of 23 billion in a year," he said.
Umesh Mainali, the outgoing chairman of the Public Service Commission, said that laws should not be made to satisfy the interests of employees. He said that if the retirement age is made at once to 60 years in order to satisfy the interests of the employees by showing the economic situation of the country, new recruitment will be affected. It is better if the age limit of leave is applied after 6-6 months. Because of that, civil service aspirants do not have to worry. If we are talking about the economic burden of the country, the employees have been reduced by half at once,' he said, 'If public service preparation is not addressed to the youth, they will flee.' Mainali says that parliamentarians should use discretion rather than listen to the employees while preparing the
bill. Legislators will not listen to such arguments. If the law makers do not draft the bill, similar arguments will come and distorted laws will come. The law maker should use discretion and prepare the bill.'
