Kathmandu, Aug 25: The government removed 1,594 officials from various boards, committees and public institutions in April through the “Special Ordinance on the Removal of Public Officials, 2083.” Four months later, only 198 of the vacant positions have been filled.
The absence of officials has disrupted the functioning of several government bodies. Some commissions have been unable to carry out their work, while vacancies at registrar level have left certain institutions without budgets, policies and programmes.
Some appointments have also failed to meet the inclusivity requirements prescribed by the Constitution and other prevailing laws. Although the ordinance was introduced to end political appointments and free public institutions from party interference, the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party has been accused of using the vacancies to appoint its own supporters.
Courts have also overturned some appointments over procedural and eligibility issues. On August 20, the Supreme Court annulled the appointment of Maheshwar Bhakta Shrestha as executive chairman of Nepal Airlines Corporation, ruling that the appointment of a person who had exceeded the prescribed age limit was prima facie unlawful.
The law requires an executive chairman to be no older than 65, among other qualifications.
A joint bench of Justices Sunil Kumar Pokharel and Balkrishna Dhakal said the Cabinet decision of July 14 appointing Shrestha as executive chairman, with responsibility for the general manager’s duties as well, was inconsistent with the legal provisions and therefore quashed it.
This was not the first time the court overturned an appointment made by the government led by RSP senior leader Balendra Shah. Earlier, the Supreme Court had annulled the appointment of Dr Dipak Prasad Bastola as a board member of Nepal Airlines Corporation.
On June 12, the court cancelled Bastola’s appointment, citing problems with his eligibility and the appointment process. The Minister for Culture and Tourism had appointed five people, including Bastola, to the corporation’s board on May 14.
Upendra Bahadur Karki had filed a writ petition, arguing that although he had ranked first in the recommendation of the selection committee, the government had ignored the ranking. The court said the minister had made an arbitrary “pick and choose” decision without adequate grounds.
Of the 1,594 positions vacated through the ordinance, the government has so far filled 198.
Login to add a comment