KATHMANDU, June 29: The controversial Civil Service Bill, widely debated for its proposed ‘cooling period’ provision, is scheduled to be passed by the House of Representatives today.
The meeting of the House is set for 1 PM at the Federal Parliament Building in New Baneshwor, with the agenda including discussion and passage of the bill. Despite Nepal’s shift to a federal structure, implementation of administrative federalism has remained a challenge, prompting the need for this legislation.
The bill was originally listed for endorsement on June 17 but was held back at the last moment due to internal disagreements.
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Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Rajkumar Gupta will present the proposal to hold a discussion on the bill, along with the report of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee.
Civil servants have expressed strong reservations, particularly against the mandatory cooling period—intended to prevent immediate reappointments or promotions after transfers—which they argue is impractical and demotivating.
Following deliberations by lawmakers, the bill is expected to be passed and forwarded to the National Assembly. Upon approval from both houses, the Speaker will authenticate the bill and present it to the President for final endorsement.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly is also meeting today at 12:15 PM to hold group-wise discussions on the Appropriation Bill for 14 ministries.
