KATHMANDU: The parliamentary special inquiry committee formed to investigate changes made to the Federal Civil Service Bill regarding the “cooling-off period” has finalized a unanimous report, holding two key individuals accountable.
According to a committee member, the report names Ramhari Khatiwada, Chairperson of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, and Suraj Kumar Dura, the committee secretary, as responsible for the insertion of language that effectively nullified the cooling-off period provision.
The committee reached consensus after two days and two nights of extensive discussions, finalizing the report on Tuesday early morning.
The member stated that the report identifies Khatiwada and Dura as the primary figures responsible. It also holds others accountable if they were directly and thematically involved in the process.
The Federal Civil Service Bill, originally registered in Parliament, included a clause mandating a cooling-off period for retired secretaries and joint secretaries.
The provision barred them from taking up any position—other than constitutional or diplomatic appointments or those approved by the Government of Nepal—within one year of retirement.
It also restricted them from working as employees or consultants in any projects not run by intergovernmental or international development partners, or in organizations within the scope of their previous roles.
However, when the bill was passed by the House of Representatives, a new clause—Section 82(4)—was inserted. This stated that the cooling-off period would not apply to retired civil servants, thereby allowing them to take up positions immediately.
Additionally, the phrase requiring “prior approval of the government” was removed. The insertion of the word “except” in this clause essentially rendered the cooling-off period provision ineffective.
The discovery of this change prompted the formation of a parliamentary inquiry committee to determine who was responsible. Despite continuous discussions from Sunday morning through Monday night and into Tuesday morning, the committee initially failed to reach a conclusion.
The team, which was given 21 days for investigation with a 7-day extension, struggled to build consensus within the original deadline, which expired at midnight on Sunday. However, after extended deliberations, the members signed the final report early Tuesday morning.
Committee member Ishwori Gharti said that all seven members signed the report. The committee was coordinated by Jeevan Pariyar, a Nepali Congress lawmaker and Joint General Secretary of the party. Other members included Sushila Thing from the Nepali Congress, Ishwori Gharti and Narayan Prasad Acharya from CPN-UML, Madhav Sapkota from Maoist Centre, Ganesh Parajuli from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and Roshan Karki from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
