Just a fortnight after a massive teachers' strike ended, employees working at the local level are demonstrating in the capital to build pressure on the government to fulfil their demands. Among others, the protesters are demanding an amendment to the Federal Civil Service Bill, which is in the process of being passed by the council of ministers and registered in the House of Representatives to be made into law.

Under the proposed bill, the chief administrative officer of the local government will be employed by the provincial government and the chief secretary of the provincial government by the federal government. As of now, the chief administrative officer of the local level works under the federal government. There are many more concerns of the local level employees, and they are demanding that the government promulgate a Unified Civil Service Act, instead of the Federal Civil Service Act, so that all issues related to them in all three tiers of the government could be addressed prudently.

Among its other demands, the employees want the position of chief administrative officer of the local level to be from the local service only while incorporating the local employees as civil service employees.

They are also calling for the right to open employee trade unions, access to health services like those of civil servants, and compulsory social welfare schemes for the employees of local government. One

of their grievances is their treatment in comparison to the employees of the federal government, hence their demand for equal chances for professional upgradation and promotion in all three tiers of government.

The protests in the capital and the pen downital and the pen down strike in the local bodies by those who are unable to come to Kathmandu have greatly inconvenienced the service seekers. The big Nepali festival, Dashain, begins next week, and there could be many people who are in need of services of the local bodies before the long holiday starts. The employees of the local levels have been emboldened into taking to the streets knowing fully well that the government will give in to their demands at some point. Earlier on September 22, the teachers' strike, which affected five million students in 30,000 public schools across the country, came to an end after a six-point deal was reached with the government, which agreed to include their concerns in the new school education act.

Protests have been used and misused by parties, unions and organisations to further their interests as the government seems unable to deal with them decisively.

Some of the demands of the agitating employees are genuine, but is it feasible to have local level service commissions to pick local employees? It's been seven years since the new republican constitution was promulgated, but the government has not been able to fully implement the federal structure in line with the provisions of the constitution. And much of this has to do with the inability of the government to frame laws in conformity with the provisions made in the new constitution, although this should have been done years ago. Both the employees and the government should sit for talks so that the Federal Civil Service Bill can be registered in the parliament at the earliest.

Curfew lifted

The week-long curfew imposed by the local administration in Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City has been lifted from Tuesday following the normalisation of the situation in the border city. The District Administration Office had to issue the curfew order following religious unrest between two religious groups.

The religious tension erupted due to a social media post which targeted the Muslim community, which has a sizable presence in the city. The curfew during the daytime was lifted on October 5 after the situation improved, but nighttime curfew had remained in effect to prevent any untoward situation from taking place during the festive season.

Keeping in mind the upcoming Dashain and Tihar festivals, the police have launched a special security plan to help passengers leaving the city for their home. Local community leaders from both the sides had played a vital role in bringing the situation under control. Some anti-social groups had tried to aggravate the situation for political advantage, but it was nipped in the bud. As the week-long curfew has now been lifted, people from all walks of life can travel to and from the city, which is the gateway to India and a major business hub of the mid-Western region, without any fear.

A version of this article appears in the print on October 12, 2023, of The Himalayan Times