Federal Civil Service Bill Unanimously Passed by Parliamentary Committee
On 2082 Jestha 2, Friday, at Singha Durbar, the Federal Civil Service Bill, 2080—drafted to manage the formation, operation, and service terms of the federal civil service—was unanimously passed by the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives.
The committee had gathered to discuss the final draft report of the bill. In total, the bill received 1,583 amendment proposals from 124 groups of lawmakers. These amendments were discussed clause-by-clause, and the bill was endorsed along with the integrated proposals.
Cooling Period Provision Revised to Two Years
Clause No. 41 of the earlier submitted report had proposed a “cooling period” for former high-level civil servants. Lawmakers had suggested a provision to restrict appointments to constitutional, diplomatic, or political positions for a certain time after retirement.
The final report from the committee includes this clause with a revision. It states:
"A retired civil servant or government employee shall not be eligible for appointment to any constitutional or government position unless a period of one year has passed since the date of retirement."
However, the government agreed to extend this period from one year to two years.
Statement by the Committee Chair
Committee Chair Ramhari Khatiwada confirmed that the bill had been unanimously passed with amendments. He remarked that this was a significant milestone after a long wait and expressed gratitude to everyone involved in passing the bill.
He stated:
"The final draft report of the Federal Civil Service Bill, 2080, has been unanimously passed with necessary amendments. Many thanks to everyone. This is an important bill that we have successfully passed after a long time."
Key Revisions in the Bill
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The cooling period has been extended to two years.
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The retirement age for civil servants has been increased from 58 to 60 years.
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The committee meeting stands adjourned until further notice.
Designation Structure According to the Bill
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The position of Additional Secretary is ranked above Joint Secretary and below Secretary.
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The Additional Secretary will be classified under Level 13.
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The Secretary is classified under Level 14, and the Chief Secretary under Level 15.
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These three positions are categorized as Special Gazette Class Positions.
Structure of Provincial Civil Service
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The Chief Secretary of the Province will remain under federal jurisdiction.
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Provincial Secretaries will fall under the provincial system.
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The Chief Administrative Officer of local levels will come under the Provincial Civil Service.
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Until positions for Provincial Secretaries and Chief Administrative Officers are fully established, the bill allows temporary deputation from the federal civil service for up to ten years.
