KATHMANDU, July 23: Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal sent Santosh Pandey, a secretary from his own secretariat, to attend a United Nations Habitat (UN Habitat) event in New York instead of Ministry Secretary Gopal Sigdel.
Pandey has already returned after participating in the event, which was held from July 15 to 18. The annual programme focused on discussions about housing for all and adequate housing. In previous years, such events were attended by the Urban Development Minister and the ministry secretary.
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Former Urban Development Minister Prakash Man Singh and then ministry secretary Maniram Gelal attended a similar event, the World Urban Forum, in Egypt in November 2024. Likewise, former Urban Development Minister Sita Gurung and then secretary Rabindranath Shrestha participated in a similar program in Kenya. Former Urban Development Ministry Secretary Dr. Ramesh Singh also attended previous editions of the event.
The appointment of secretary level advisers in ministers' secretariats has already begun creating friction between them and ministry secretaries. According to a ministry official, the decision to send the minister's own secretariat secretary to New York instead of the ministry secretary has widened the gap between the minister's secretariat and ministry staff.
Pandey said he travelled to the United States following the minister's decision.
"I went to the United States on the recommendation of the minister. Everything was done following protocol. The minister could not attend because of his official commitments, so he recommended me instead," Pandey said. "The invitation was addressed to the minister. Since he could not go, he nominated me."
Ministry officials are unhappy that a staff member from the minister's secretariat attended an event that they believe should have been represented by senior ministry officials.
"The purpose of such visits is not sightseeing. Participants are expected to learn and bring back knowledge that can be applied in Nepal. Ministry officials can implement what they learn, whereas staff in a minister's secretariat may not remain in those positions permanently," a ministry official said. "The minister has the authority to send someone from his secretariat abroad, but it would have been better if the ministry secretary had represented Nepal at this event."
Pandey was appointed to the minister's secretariat in the second week of June at the rank equivalent to a secretary.
His appointment came after the Cabinet endorsed the Ministers' Advisory and Secretariat Management Procedure, 2083, allowing ministers to appoint secretary level advisers to their personal secretariats. The procedure permits each minister to recruit three to five advisers from outside the civil service with secretary equivalent status.
Under the new rules, the Ministries of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Infrastructure Development, Agriculture, and Forests and Environment may appoint up to five advisers, including one paid adviser with secretary equivalent rank. Other ministries may appoint up to three advisers, including one paid adviser of equivalent rank.
Accordingly, three ministries will appoint five advisers each, totalling 15 positions, while the remaining 14 ministries will appoint three advisers each, adding another 42 positions.
The procedure also allows ministers to appoint a total of 210 personal secretariat staff. In addition to advisers, each minister may recruit a chief personal secretary at joint secretary level, a personal secretary at section officer level, a coordination, implementation and monitoring officer at section officer level, a communication and public relations assistant at non gazetted first class level, and an assistant staff member at non gazetted second class level.
