Koshi Province Sports Board Faces Controversy Over Member Secretary Salary Dispute

Biratnagar. A few days after the Koshi Province Sports Development Board, which has been without leadership for months, got new officials, a new controversy has arisen. The Provincial Sports Act was amended through an ordinance to fulfill the share of the ruling parties, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, but the amendment does not clearly specify the salary of the board's member secretary.

Biplav Ghosh of Sunsari, appointed as member secretary from the quota of CPN-UML, has submitted only a certificate of SLC (Class 10) pass as his educational qualification. A dispute has started between the ministry's employees and political leadership after he claimed to receive service and facilities equivalent to a deputy secretary of the provincial government, like previous member secretaries.

According to ministry sources, Minister Ram Prasad Mahato pressured to remove the educational qualification criteria to appoint Ghosh as member secretary. The ordinance was brought accordingly. However, regarding the salary, the old act mentioned deputy secretary level, while the new ordinance states it will be based on the appointment letter.

The original provision of the Koshi Province Sports Act, 2076 BS, clearly stipulated the salary of the member secretary. Section 27 of the Act stated, 'The Member-Secretary shall receive a monthly salary, allowance, and other facilities equivalent to the starting scale of a deputy secretary of the provincial government for working as the executive head of the board.'

The ordinance, brought because the educational qualification was insufficient for a political appointment, completely revised Section 27. The revised Section 27 stated, 'The Member-Secretary shall receive the monthly salary, allowance, and other facilities determined at the time of appointment for working in the board.'

Although the ordinance clearly provides for receiving the salary 'determined at the time of appointment,' the appointment letter given to Biplav Ghosh by the Social Development Ministry does not mention anything about service, facilities, or salary.

The appointment letter signed by Minister Mahato on Jestha 13 states, 'As per Section 11, Sub-section (1) of the Provincial Sports Act, 2076 BS (including the First Amendment Ordinance, 2083 BS), you have been appointed as the Member Secretary of the Koshi Province Sports Development Board for a period of four years.'

The absence of salary in the appointment letter and the removal of the phrase 'equivalent to deputy secretary' from the old act by the ordinance have become a headache for the ministry.

Since the law does not specify the salary, ministry employees are insisting that an individual with only an SLC pass cannot be given the salary and allowances of an 'officer level' (deputy secretary). The administrative staff led by Ministry Secretary Uddhav Prasad Rizal has clarified that the salary will be determined based on the educational qualification (SLC) submitted by Ghosh.

'The position of Member Secretary is also that of an administrative executive head. It is not legally, administratively, or ethically appropriate to provide service and facilities of a deputy secretary to someone who has only passed SLC. We have insisted that the qualification is insufficient,' say ministry officials.

The ministry is currently preparing to provide Member Secretary Ghosh with service and facilities equivalent to a 'Kharidar' (Gazetted Second Class) based on his current educational qualification, citing the appointment letter and the ordinance provisions. There was a heated argument at the ministry for three hours regarding this issue during the appointment of officials on Jestha 13, due to which the oath-taking ceremony was held only at midnight.

On the other hand, the newly appointed Member Secretary Ghosh is insisting on receiving facilities equivalent to a deputy secretary. Stating that there was no prior discussion about his service and facilities, he said, 'Previous member secretaries also received the service facilities of a ninth level (deputy secretary); what happens in my case is the ministry's concern. I have told them to give me at least the minimum I am entitled to. They said it would be equivalent to a Kharidar. They asked for educational qualification, and I gave my SLC certificate.' However, he claimed to have higher educational qualifications as well.

The Koshi Province government has made the entire Sports Board cumbersome and 'jumbo' to accommodate political quotas, not just for the member secretary. The National Sports Council (Rastriya Khelkud Parishad) at the center has a board of only 23 members. However, Koshi Province has surpassed even that by creating a 25-member board.

Previously, the board had a provision for only one female vice-chairperson, but through an ordinance, a male vice-chairperson has been added, and positions have been distributed to Nepali Congress and UML cadres. Nepali Congress has been allocated one vice-chairperson and 5 members, while UML has been allocated the member secretary, female vice-chairperson, and 9 members.