KATHMANDU: The main opposition party, CPN (Maoist Centre), has expressed strong objection to the removal of the Federal Civil Service Bill from the House of Representatives’ agenda.
During Thursday’s House session, Maoist Centre Chief Whip Hit Raj Pandey criticized the government for withdrawing the bill from the agenda despite it having been listed in earlier sessions.
He highlighted the bill’s significance and urged the government to immediately bring it back into the parliamentary schedule for discussion and passage.
“The Federal Civil Service Bill is extremely important. It must be re-listed and moved forward without delay,” Pandey said, adding that the government has failed to show seriousness in passing key legislation, including the civil service, school education, and citizenship bills—even though the opposition has been pressing for timely action.
Supporting Pandey’s concerns, CPN (Unified Socialist) senior vice-chair Rajendra Pandey claimed that the bill had already been unanimously endorsed by the parliamentary committee but was being stalled due to pressure from senior bureaucrats.
He revealed that top officials had allegedly threatened Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli with mass resignation—reportedly 25 secretaries—if the bill’s provision on a “cooling-off period” was not removed. Pandey urged the government not to give in to such pressure.
“If 25 secretaries resign, 25 joint secretaries can step in. Governance cannot be held hostage to threats,” he stated. “Policy-making should not be driven by intimidation. The government must stand firm.”
The cooling-off period provision is designed to prevent recently retired civil servants from immediately entering political or related public positions. While intended as a safeguard for good governance, it has faced resistance from some high-level officials who see it as restrictive.
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