GANDAKI PROVINCE TO PROVIDE SECRETARIAL STAFF TO MPS

Pokhara. Following the provision of secretarial staff facilities to the Members of Parliament (MPs) of the House of Representatives, preparations are underway to provide secretarial staff to the MPs in Gandaki Province as well.

Previously, as per the province's law, secretarial staff equivalent to Non-Gazetted Officer (NASU) level were provided. However, after the 'Jyanji' movement, all facilities provided to secretarial staff were cut short as per the circular from the federal government. Now, the Council of Ministers has passed a decision to provide facilities to secretarial staff at the federal level, which has also been published in the gazette. Accordingly, provincial MPs can now have secretarial staff. The Secretary of the Provincial Assembly, Govinda Poudel, stated that the necessary salary and facilities for the secretarial staff have already been managed from the budget.

'Since the federal MPs are getting the facility, there is no obstacle to providing it in the province now. We have already managed the necessary budget for the secretarial staff,' he said. More than 2 crore 50 lakh rupees have been allocated in the budget for the salary and facilities of the secretarial staff.

Although Gandaki has 60 MPs, the position of Rajiv Gurung alias Deepak Manange is vacant. All remaining MPs will receive secretarial staff facilities. In Gandaki, even parties with two MPs have received the status of parliamentary party. They receive the facilities of the party leader and chief whip. Parties with more members than that will receive the facility of the whip. The Act relating to the Salary and Facilities of Provincial Assembly Officials and Members provides for these facilities.

As per that Act, the Speaker has the facility of one secretarial staff of Gazetted Third Class (Officer) rank. In addition, one Non-Gazetted Officer and one office assistant are provided. Later, the Act was amended to provide the Speaker with a communication expert of Gazetted Third Class rank. The Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Speaker are also provided with one secretarial staff of Gazetted Third Class rank, one secretarial staff of Non-Gazetted First Class rank, and one office assistant. Chief whips, committee chairpersons, party whips, and all MPs have the facility of one secretarial staff equivalent to NASU level.

To arrange for secretarial staff for the MPs, the Provincial Council of Ministers needs to make a decision and send a circular, informed Speaker Krishna Dhital. 'The federal government has already published in the gazette to provide salary and allowances to the secretarial staff. In our province too, this has been arranged in the budget for the upcoming year,' he said, 'However, to implement this, the cabinet needs to make a decision. If the cabinet decides and sends it, we are in a position to provide it.' After the 'Jyanji' movement, an instruction was given to remove secretarial staff in the name of cutting administrative expenses.

In the inter-provincial speakers' meeting held in Tikapur, Kailali, last June, it was decided that secretarial staff should be provided and a demand was made to the government. Speaker Dhital stated that since the provincial government had previously issued a circular to stop the service facilities, a decision from the Council of Ministers is now necessary to provide remuneration in a new way.

'In the past, payment was stopped by issuing a circular. Now, a decision from the Council of Ministers is required to release it or to proceed with a new process,' he added. 'Since the federal government is also involved in financial matters, a decision from the Council of Ministers is necessary.' If the cabinet decides, the path for secretarial staff to receive remuneration again will open from the upcoming year.

Even if secretarial staff are provided with facilities, they will not receive the amount that was stopped last year. The Parliament Secretariat has stated that new appointments will be necessary even if provided now. 'The old secretarial staff have not been in contact since last August,' the secretariat said. 'Even if the decision to provide facilities is made, we will update it. We will provide salaries only after receiving appointment letters from the secretaries.'

With the federal government increasing the salaries of employees, the salary of Kharidar has reached 44,810, and that of NASU is 47,023 rupees. The salary of an Officer is 57,862.