House Panel Pushes for Reform in Bill Vetting Process after Cooling-Off Period Controversy

A special parliamentary committee formed to investigate discrepancies in the recently endorsed Federal Civil Service Bill has submitted its report, confirming that critical changes to the bill—particularly the controversial exemption from the two-year “cooling-off period” for retired civil servants—were made without proper parliamentary scrutiny.

The report, presented by Committee Coordinator Jeevan Pariyar to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, August 5, stated that the bill had not undergone a clause-wise discussion, and that members of the concerned parliamentary committee neither reviewed nor discussed the revised version before it was submitted in parliament for endorsement. Pariyar said there was no system in place to cross-verify the original bill with the draft report, and that those responsible for this integration failed to meet their legal obligations.

The investigation was prompted by a growing backlash after lawmakers discovered that a provision designed to prevent appointment of civil servants to vital posts after retirement was tampered with. While Clause 82(4) of the bill mandates a two-year gap before retired or resigned civil servants can be appointed to political, constitutional, or diplomatic positions, Clause 82(5)(a)—inserted and overlooked by lawmakers—effectively exempts these very positions from the restriction for high-ranking civil servants, undermining the original intent of the bill.

The committee’s report recommends stronger safeguards in the legislative process to prevent such oversights. It calls for institutional reforms, including limiting the number of ministry representatives attending clause-wise discussions, ensuring the minister presenting a bill is held accountable, and developing a balanced approach to confidentiality and transparency in sensitive matters.

Read: Dilution of ‘Cooling-Off’ Clause Draws Fire in Nepal’s Parliament

“The chair of the concerned parliamentary committee should read all amendments aloud during the decision-making process and establish a system where members must sign off on the decisions,” Pariyar told the House while presenting the findings.

The committee also recommended that future parliamentary processes integrate the original bill and the committee’s draft report in a unified format to ensure consistency and legal compliance. It emphasized that political figures bear political and moral responsibilities, while civil servants are accountable through legal and official obligations.

The high-level committee, formed on July 6, was tasked with reviewing how the final version of the bill diverged from what the parliamentary committee had originally approved. It held 37 meetings over 29 days and finalized its report on Monday night. The report was first submitted to Speaker Devraj Ghimire at the Federal Parliament Building in New Baneshwor before being tabled in the House.

The committee included representatives from all major parties: Jeevan Pariyar and Sushila Thing from the Nepali Congress; Narayan Prasad Acharya and Ishwori Gharti from the CPN-UML; Madhav Sapkota from the CPN (Maoist Centre); Ganesh Parajuli from the Rastriya Swatantra Party; and Roshan Karki from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.