Kathmandu, July 1: Leaders of different parties have criticized the changes made in the Federal Civil Service Bill which was presented and passed from the House of Representatives. The lawmakers who consented to the bill’s endorsement stated that they had no knowledge of change in the clause regarding the cooling-off period.

Nepali Congress leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala has condemned the unauthorized alteration made to the Civil Service Bill, calling it a “serious crime” and a “blatant insult” to the sovereign parliament. In a Facebook post, he said, “The Civil Service Bill, unanimously endorsed by the parliamentary committee, was changed without authorization. This is no ordinary act—it is a betrayal of the nation and a disgrace to parliament.”

Dr. Koirala demanded strict action against those involved and urged the government to immediately reverse the changes and restore the original provision. He further insisted that no step should be taken on the bill without reinstating the mandatory two-year cooling-off period for retired civil servants.

The controversy centers around two conflicting sub-clauses in Clause 82 of the bill passed by the House of Representatives. The original provision barred retired government officials from taking constitutional or government posts for two years. However, a late insertion of the word “except for” in the clause has sparked outrage, as it appears to create a loophole favoring top-level officials like secretaries and joint secretaries, allowing them to bypass the restriction.

This exemption was interpreted to include not just constitutional and diplomatic roles, but also positions in private entities and donor-funded projects — especially those linked to the individual’s previous office. It even prohibited consultants from working in agencies related to their former positions within a year of retirement.

Dr. Koirala’s statement followed public outcry over the last-minute amendment, which many lawmakers claimed they were unaware of when voting.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) also slammed the move. Its spokesperson, Manish Jha, demanded the resignation of State Affairs and Good Governance Committee Chair Ramhari Khatiwada, accusing him of tabling a bill in Parliament that differed from the committee’s original version. “Either correct the error or resign for your incompetence,” Jha wrote.

Jha also mocked lawmakers who passed the bill without reading it, saying, “Those blindly saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’—well done!”

Similarly, CPN-UML lawmaker Surya Thapa demanded accountability from both the committee chair and secretary, accusing them of deliberately inserting the word “except” to weaken the cooling-off provision. “Who snuck in that word not found in the committee's report?” he asked.

The issue has triggered a major credibility crisis within the parliamentary lawmaking process.

People’s News Monitoring Service