KATHMANDU: The State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives has concluded that officials from the committee’s own secretariat, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, and the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs may have conspired to alter a key provision in the Federal Civil Service Bill.
During a meeting on Wednesday, the committee agreed that language in the bill regarding the two-year “cooling-off period” for retired or resigned civil servants had been tampered with before the bill was presented to Parliament — weakening its original intent.
In a formal statement, the committee called on Speaker Devraj Ghimire to form a high-level parliamentary probe committee to investigate what it described as a “deliberate and malicious act” of inserting language that nullified the committee’s consensus decision.
“When the committee’s report was being finalized, officials from the secretariat and both ministries were involved in drafting language designed to neutralize the provision. This appears to be a calculated and malicious interference in the legislative process,” the committee said in its decision.
The bill, as passed by the committee, included a clear provision in Clause 82 stating that civil servants who resign or retire would not be eligible for appointment to constitutional or public posts within two years of their exit from service.
However, the version submitted to Parliament included an additional clause, 82(5)(a), that diluted the cooling-off requirement.
Citing this, the committee has formally requested the National Assembly to introduce the necessary amendments to restore the bill’s original intent regarding the cooling-off period.
Committee Chair Ramhari Khatiwada confirmed that several members raised concerns over how the bill, passed with unanimous support, was later presented in a form that contradicted the committee’s will. Some members called it a direct assault on the dignity of the parliamentary process.
“What happened here is not a mere error — it’s a grave and deliberate breach of parliamentary ethics. The provision was weakened after it left the committee, and the individuals responsible must be held accountable,” one member said.
Several lawmakers highlighted the need to retain the two-year cooling-off period and demanded an investigation into those who altered the bill’s content. Some also urged the resignation of the committee chair and secretary, citing a failure to safeguard the committee’s decisions.
The Federal Civil Service Bill, which has now reached the National Assembly with the House’s message, is considered critical for implementing administrative federalism in Nepal. Chair Khatiwada reiterated that the committee wants to see the bill passed quickly, but with all original provisions intact and malicious edits reversed.
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