The House of Representatives on Friday extended the term of a special parliamentary committee investigating tampering with the ‘cooling-off period’ provision in the Federal Civil Service Bill.

Speaker Devraj Ghimire tabled the proposal to extend the committee’s mandate by seven days during the House meeting, which lawmakers approved unopposed.

The seven-member committee was formed on July 7 under Rule 180 of the House of Representatives Regulations, which allows the formation of a special panel to address sensitive or serious matters.

It is tasked with investigating changes made to a key provision in the bill after it had been endorsed by the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee but before being passed by the full House.

The controversy emerged after lawmakers discovered that the version of the bill passed by the plenary of the lower house included a clause on the ‘cooling-off period’ that contradicted the version unanimously approved by the committee.

The original clause required government officials to wait at least two years after resignation or retirement before taking up political appointments—a provision aimed at ensuring ethical transitions in public service.

However, the final version passed by the House reversed this restriction, raising concerns over procedural transparency and potential political interference.

The probe panel is led by Nepali Congress lawmaker Jeevan Pariyar and includes Sushila Thing (Congress), Narayan Prasad Acharya and Ishwari Gharti (CPN-UML), Madhav Sapkota (Maoist Centre), Ganesh Parajuli (Rastriya Swatantra Party), and Roshan Karki (Rastriya Prajatantra Party).

The committee has been assigned four key tasks–determining how the tampering occurred, identifying the individuals involved, investigating the motives behind the change, and recommending corrective measures.

The investigation is expected to question officials from the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, the Ministry of Law, and the secretariat of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee. The panel also has the authority to consult legal and legislative experts if necessary.

The extension gives the committee an additional week to complete its report.