KATHMANDU: The government has come under fire for allegedly trying to manipulate the parliamentary committee formed to investigate irregularities in the Federal Civil Service Bill.
The investigation committee, which was finalizing its report on the final day of its mandate, was disrupted by the ruling parties — Nepali Congress and CPN-UML — raising serious concerns about interference in parliamentary sovereignty.
The committee had been meeting since 7 AM on Sunday, and as of 6 PM, the meeting had yet to conclude. Lawmakers from both ruling parties are accused of walking out under the pretext of lunch and not returning. Members from the opposition say they were unreachable and failed to return to the meeting hall.
Earlier, all seven members of the probe committee had unanimously concluded that the manipulation of the “cooling-off period” provision in the bill was not a human error but a deliberate act. However, on the final day, Nepali Congress and UML MPs Jeewan Pariyar, Sushila Thing, Narayan Acharya, and Ishwari Gharti left the meeting and went out of contact.
It was later revealed that the MPs were taken to the UML parliamentary party office, where they stayed for over an hour. During this time, they were reportedly instructed on what recommendations the final report should include — particularly to avoid implicating the government or recommending action.
Congress Chief Whip Shyam Ghimire and UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula are said to have issued these instructions. Jeewan Pariyar, who chairs the probe committee, returned to the meeting carrying these directives.
This incident follows a controversial change in the civil service bill, where the “cooling-off period”, a provision meant to bar recently retired bureaucrats from taking political or constitutional appointments for two years, was quietly altered. Critics say this benefits high-level bureaucrats with political ties and undermines efforts to prevent conflicts of interest.
Initially, Clause 82(4) of the bill clearly barred such appointments within two years of retirement. But when the bill was presented and passed in the House of Representatives, the previously removed sub-clause 82(5)(a), which weakens the restriction, was reinserted without informing lawmakers.
The House passed the bill on June 29 without realizing the change, and MPs only discovered the discrepancy later. The move drew sharp criticism from civil society and lawmakers alike.
Behind the scenes, secretaries led by Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal were reportedly lobbying hard to influence the outcome, suggesting high-level bureaucrats were acting as a vested interest group. The ruling coalition’s handling of the investigation, particularly its reported interference in the final committee meeting , has further fueled allegations of political manipulation.
Notably, five UML lawmakers have registered amendments in the National Assembly seeking to completely remove the cooling-off period provision from the bill. The ruling coalition is now seen as reluctant to retain this anti-corruption safeguard.
Despite the obstacles, the parliamentary investigation committee is expected to submit its report to the House of Representatives on Monday.
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