KATHMANDU, Sept 21: The government is preparing to end Parliament’s current monsoon session while its proposed Federal Civil Service Bill, which could force large numbers of employees to retire, remains outside the House.
The government has placed the bill at the top of its list of legislative priorities. It had been expected during this session, but there is little sign it will be registered before Parliament closes. That has raised concern among civil servants that the government may introduce the law through an ordinance, bypassing a parliamentary debate.
The draft would require civil servants to retire once they reach 55 or complete 30 years of service. According to Law Ministry officials, the age provision would affect employees born before 1971 who remain in service, while the service limit would affect those who joined before 1996. Some employees are reportedly considering resignation.
The draft has received approval from the law and finance ministries and is now with the Public Service Commission for its opinion. The commission has yet to respond. “The government is waiting for the commission’s opinion and advice,” a government official said.
Why is the Civil Service Bill not being presented to parliament...
Officials say there are 151,765 approved civil service posts across the three tiers of government: 51,000 at the federal level, 35,000 in the provinces and 65,765 in local governments. Many posts remain vacant. They put the number of employees currently working in the federal civil service at 86,485. The reported growth of staffing at the centre, alongside shortages in provincial and local offices, has become a point of debate over how federalism is being put into practice.
The Parliament Secretariat has begun internal preparations for the session’s end. Its current schedule lists meetings through October 1 (Asoj 15), although officials say further meetings remain possible. Some government officials expect the session to close soon after October 2 (Asoj 16), once agreement is reached on several other bills already before Parliament.
The civil service draft contains other contentious provisions. It would allow the government to recruit people of its choosing into senior positions, including secretary and joint secretary posts, through lateral entry or contracts without open Public Service Commission competition.
Former secretaries and other experts say this could weaken merit-based recruitment, disrupt the administrative chain of command and expose the civil service to political influence.
The draft also proposes filling certain lower-level posts through contracts instead of permanent appointments. It would limit pensionable service to 30 years, a provision that critics believe could face a court challenge.
An earlier version of the bill spent years in parliamentary committees and the House. Parties could not agree on issues including the adjustment of provincial and local employees, trade union rights and the retirement age. Before the Gen Z movement, the House of Representatives passed the bill and sent it to the National Assembly. It lapsed when Parliament was dissolved before the process was completed.
RSP leaders say the government had considered ending the session after the budget passed in June and issuing a civil service ordinance. That plan was shelved after party chair Rabi Lamichhane advised the government to bring a bill to Parliament instead.
The government faces pressure to resolve stalled transfers, promotions and staffing decisions. Civil servants have long complained that the absence of a federal law has held back their career progression. Experts also say provinces and local governments need clearer administrative authority.
Those demands could push the government towards an ordinance if it sees little prospect of securing agreement in Parliament. Opposition parties have signalled dissatisfaction with that possibility. Whether the government tables the bill or issues an ordinance will determine how much scrutiny its proposed changes receive before they take effect.
