Butwal, Sept 26: The federal government’s decision to scrap perks for secretariats and personal secretaries of elected representatives could lead to major cost savings at the provincial level if implemented.
The decision also ends the facility of appointing personal secretaries for provincial assembly members and other political officials. At most, only three staff members can now be appointed to the secretariat of ministers and provincial heads. The decision, aimed at controlling unnecessary spending, has been communicated to Lumbini Province through a circular from the Ministry of Finance.
Durlabh Kumar Pun Magar, secretary of the Lumbini Provincial Assembly, said the province can amend its laws to adjust these facilities. He explained that while the provincial assembly had granted such benefits under its constitutional authority, it could now revise its legal provisions and remove them, similar to the federal government’s step.
Lumbini Province has 87 provincial assembly members, each entitled to keep a personal secretary with the pay and benefits equivalent to a Nayab Subba (section officer). Eliminating this privilege would save about Rs 40 million annually. Lawmakers have long been accused of appointing family members rather than qualified experts to these posts.
The chief minister’s secretariat alone has had more than a dozen members. Current Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya maintains a jumbo secretariat of 14, including four experts. Similarly, members of the 12-member provincial cabinet have reportedly appointed party workers as computer operators and personal staff.
Political advisors to the chief minister receive pay and privileges on par with state ministers, while experts enjoy benefits equivalent to an under-secretary.
If fully enforced, these changes are expected to reduce expenses at the provincial level by up to Rs 140 million annually.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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