KATHMANDU: The government has made 611 appointments to positions that became vacant following the issuance of the Ordinance on Special Provisions Relating to the Removal of Public Officials, 2083, according to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM).
At a regular press briefing held at Singha Durbar on Friday, OPMCM spokesperson and Joint Secretary Hemraj Aryal said 419 new appointments and other recruitment decisions had been made across 80 entities, including government ministries, autonomous bodies, boards, councils, institutions, commissions and universities, following the removal of public officials.
According to Aryal, the Cabinet made 14 appointments based on proposals from the OPMCM, while 178 appointments were made to positions in universities, commissions and academies.
A total of 159 appointments were made across 13 entities under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, while 82 appointments were made across 15 entities under the Ministry of Health and Food Safety. Similarly, 70 appointments were made across 18 bodies under the Ministry of Education and Sports.
The government also made 29 appointments across seven entities under the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, 25 across seven entities under the Ministry of Finance, 14 across three entities under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, and 11 across four entities under the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration.
Likewise, nine appointments were made across five entities under the Ministry of Information and Communications; eight each across entities under the ministries of Agriculture, Forests and Environment, and Youth, Labour and Employment; and two each under the ministries of Home Affairs and Science, Technology and Innovation.
Aryal said the appointments had been made transparently on the basis of qualifications, professional competence and relevant expertise to help the concerned institutions function effectively and efficiently.
Government monitoring and administrative reforms
The OPMCM also announced vacancies on October 15 for positions related to the development, revision, upgrading and maintenance of software systems used by various government offices.
Last month, the District Treasury Controller Office in Sindhupalchok was monitored to identify issues related to accumulated arrears, according to the briefing.
A report was also prepared following the monitoring of training programmes conducted by and currently underway at the National Vocational Training Foundation.
Meanwhile, notices requiring corrective action were sent to 23 agencies, including all federal ministries.
The National Vigilance Centre monitored compliance with the code of conduct by public officials. During the past week, it inspected 43 offices and directed the concerned authorities to take action against 714 employees found to have violated office rules, Aryal said.
On the recommendation of the Public Procurement Monitoring Office, five firms and companies were also blacklisted.
Public complaints and disaster relief
The Hello Sarkar desk at the OPMCM continued receiving public complaints concerning a range of issues, including monthly wages, Dashain allowances, failure to issue invoices, cooking gas shortages and excessive transport fares.
According to the briefing, the desk received 782 complaints over the past six months, while 902 complaints were reported as resolved.
The Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund has collected nearly Rs 18 billion in assistance for rehabilitation and reconstruction following the August 26 Bhotekoshi glacial disaster, the OPMCM said.
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