Government Removes Grievance Redressal System for Civil Servants

Kathmandu. Civil servants will now not be able to demand a hearing by presenting their grievances and complaints. The government has removed the 'grievance, complaint, and hearing system' for employees by amending the Civil Service Regulations, 2050 for the 16th time. The 'Civil Service (Sixteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2083' of the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration, published in the Gazette on Thursday, states that Rule 117 'A', 133 'A', and Schedule 17 'C' of the Civil Service Regulations, 2050 have been repealed. Under Rule 133 'A' of the regulations, there was a provision for a committee to hear grievances and complaints submitted by civil servants regarding their grievances and complaints as per Section 73 'A' of the Act, if not resolved at that level. That rule has now been repealed through the amendment. This was the system: Under Section 73 'A' of the Civil Service Act, 2049, under the title 'Grievance, Complaint, and Hearing System for Civil Servants', subsection (1) states: 'Except where a civil servant has the right to appeal or lodge a complaint elsewhere under this Act or prevailing laws, if a civil servant feels aggrieved by any matter related to the services, conditions, facilities, and employees provided under this Act and the rules made thereunder, or if no action is taken even after informing the concerned body about the matter, they can submit their grievance and complaint to the designated body as prescribed.' Subsection (2) of the same states: 'Other arrangements for the grievance, complaint, and hearing of civil servants shall be as prescribed.' The ministry has removed this system by amending the regulations. The ministry has removed this system by amending the regulations. Rule 117 'A' of the regulations, repealed by the government through the amendment, contained provisions related to civil servant trade unions. The government has not only repealed rules through the amendment but has also removed some sub-rules. The notice published in the Gazette mentions the removal of Rule 95, subsection (1), clause (D), Rule 117 'B', subsection (1), clause (C), and subsection (3). Clause (D) of Rule 95, subsection (1), which was removed, concerned the central president of the official trade union being a member of the committee formed to provide additional financial assistance. The Ministry of General Administration has stated that the amendment was made to remove the legal provision for them to be members, as the government had already abolished employee trade unions through an ordinance. Rule 117 'B', subsection (1), clause (C) stipulated that the president and general secretary of the official trade union would be members of the employee relations committee. Similarly, subsection (3) of Rule 117 'B', which was removed, contained the provision: 'The president shall convene a meeting within 15 days of receiving the written request if the central executive committee of the official trade union decides by majority and submits a written request to the president to convene a meeting.' Vivek Ghimire, information officer at the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration, said that the 'grievance, complaint, and hearing system' for employees has been removed from the regulations. 'This system has been removed from the regulations as it is provided for in the newly introduced law,' Ghimire told Ratopati. The Civil Service Act was amended through an ordinance, and Section 53 was changed and a new one was added. This provision is in that section, hence the regulations have been amended.