KATHMANDU, Jan 22: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Friday revoked a government decision to transfer two secretaries following pressure from various quarters and chief secretary´s objection to the move.
The cabinet three days ago had decided to transfer Chhabi Raj Panta from the Ministry of Land Reform to the Western Regional Administration Office and Secretary Ananda Pokharel from the Kathmandu Metropolitan Office to Mid Western Administration Office in violation of the Civil Service Act and Regulations.
Panta, who is the seniormost government secretary, had refused to accept the transfer letter stating that the cabinet decision was not taken as per the existing legal provisions.
Chief Secretary Madhav Ghimire on Friday had spent nearly two hours to convince the prime minister to rectify the cabinet decision. The prime minister finally gave in and decided to transfer Panta to the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and Secretary Pokharel to the Information Commission.
Bindra Hada, who had been serving as a secretary at the Information Commission, has been transferred to the National Planning Commission.
“Not only the chief secretary Ghimire but other secretaries and well wishers had also advised the prime minister to rectify the decision,” a knowledgeable government source said, adding, “The prime minister would have committed a serious mistake by setting a wrong precedent had he not revoked the cabinet decision.”
As per the Civil Service Act and Regulation, the cabinet cannot transfer any senior secretary to remote areas or make him work under a junior secretary. Second, cabinet has to take consent from the concerned secretary before taking any transfer decision if the secretary is getting mandatory retirement in a year or less. Moreover, the cabinet cannot transfer secretary above 50 years to remote areas.
Panta is getting compulsory retirement in six months while Pokhrel has less than a year left to get retirement.
However, Panta is still not happy with the government´s rectified decision. “I am still not happy with the decision as it has not been taken as per the provision of Civil Service Act and Regulation,” Panta told Republica.
The three days- old decision of the cabinet to transfer Secretary Keshav Bhattarai to the Ministry of Land Reform and Management and Secretary Sheetal Babu Regmee to the Ministry of Energy remains unchanged.
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