The Legislature-Parliament on Friday endorsed the amendment with a provision to taking action against those holding such documents while in active government service. “The action against anti-national civil servants will begin immediately after the President endorses this Act,” said General Administration Minister Lalbabu Pandit.

The ministry will provide 20 days to all civil servants with PR and foreign citizenship to voluntarily declare such documents in their possession and 30 more days to surrender them, Minister Pandit said. “The government will suspend all those civil servants found to be holding PR and DV from the 60th day of the endorsement of the law.” More than 600 complaints against civil servants with PR and foreign citizenship are already pending at the ministry.  

Immediately after taking charge of the General Administration Ministry, Pandit had vowed to take action against those civil servants holding PR, DV and citizenship of foreign countries, arguing that their affiliation with the foreign countries while working in Nepal was a serious breach of national interest. The amendment process had been initiated after the minister noticed that the existing Civil Servant Act has no provision to take action against such bureaucrats.

Minister Pandit’s wish to take action against PR-holding bureaucrats was stalled for more than a year as the bill was left pending in the Cabinet following objections from some ministers. Around a dozen senior officials have resigned from their positions citing ‘personal reason’ since Minister Pandit’s warning of government action against PR-holding bureaucrats.

“Finally, Parliament endorsed the amendment proposal on the Act and nobody will stop me from taking action,” he said, stressing the need to enforce similar provisions in all security agencies, including the Nepal Army.

Government ultimatum

-     Govt to provide 20 days to civil servants to declare PR, DV and foreign

citizenship after President’s approval

-    Call PR, DV and foreign citizenship card holding civil servants to cancel their foreign affiliation

-    Initiate action 60 days after the enactment of law