PM warns of action against 'defiant civil servants'

Says voluntary retirement will affect govt's service delivery

 

KATHMANDU, March 18: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Saturday warned of taking action against civil servants if they refuse to go to the designated offices or remain unsupportive to the government. 

In a meeting with the representatives of civil servants, PM Oli said the government won't tolerate any non-cooperation from the civil servants in the federal set up and warned to take action against 'defiant civil servants'. Stating that the government has already faced a shortage of experienced bureaucrats in vital institutions, PM Oli indicated to refuse voluntary retirement. 

"We have already experienced the lack of experienced civil servants. So, voluntary retirement is not a solution," Punya Prasad Dhakal, president of the official trade union of civil servants, quoted the PM as saying, "All of you should support the government at this critical juncture of implementing federalism."

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General Administration Minister Lalbabu Pandit also opposed the provision of voluntary retirement of civil servants as stated in the recently introduced Civil Servants Adjustment Act. "They must go to the offices they have been assigned to. We are not in favor of voluntary retirement as more civil servants are required in the changed context," said Minister Pandit. 

Asked why the government is going against voluntary retirement provisions of the law introduced by the erstwhile Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government, Minister Pandit defended PM Oli's stance. "By introducing conditional voluntary retirement provision, it does not mean that they [civil servants] should not go to the offices they have been transferred to. They must follow the government's instructions." 

Since the Deuba government introduced the Civil Servants Adjustment Act, as many as 5,000 government employees have applied for the voluntary retirement scheme.  

But the new government is not for giving retirement to those officials. The new government believes voluntary retirement will only add burden to the state coffers as the government will have to provide additional incentives to all of them.

The Oli government plans to review the provision of voluntary retirement in the Act. 

In a notice published in the Nepal Gazette on January 12, MoGA had asked public servants above fifty years of age to decide whether they want to continue with the service or retire with a handsome incentive. The ministry had given a 45-day deadline. 

The proposed incentive for employees seeking voluntary retirement includes a lump sum worth seven years of pension, which means an official seeking voluntary retirement will get a lump sum of up to Rs 3 million. These employees will also be entitled to the usual post-retirement perks and benefits in accordance with the law

Officials at the ministry said that Rs 10 to 12 billion would be required for the voluntary retirement of 5,000 employees.